poucas

Poucas is the feminine plural form of the quantitative adjective pouco in Portuguese. It denotes a small number or amount when applied to feminine plural nouns. The masculine plural form is poucos, and the singular forms are pouco (masculine) and pouca (feminine). The word derives from Latin paucus and is used in both European and Brazilian Portuguese. As a determiner, poucas is placed before a noun: “Poucas pessoas chegaram cedo.” As a pronoun, it can head a clause: “Poucas são as opções disponíveis.” It often conveys scarcity or surprise and can carry a mildly evaluative tone depending on context.

Usage notes: Poucas is used with countable feminine nouns (pessoas, oportunidades, horas, informações, etc.). It signals that the identified quantity is smaller than expected or desirable. It contrasts with muitas (many) and with pouco, which is used for non-countable or mass concepts, or in adverbial sense as “a little/not much.”

Examples:

- Poucas pessoas sabem disso.

- Há poucas oportunidades de emprego.

- Poucas horas RESTavam quando o evento começou.

- Poucas informações foram divulgadas.

Etymology and variety: The form pouc- traces to Latin paucus. The corresponding masculine form is poucos and the singular feminine form is pouca, reflecting standard gender and number agreement in Portuguese.

See also: escassas, raras, poucas e suficientes. This term is primarily a common-language quantity word rather than a specialized concept, and it appears across formal and informal registers.