wenige

Wenige is a German quantifier meaning “a few” or “a small number.” It is used with countable nouns in the plural and can function as a determiner before a noun or as a pronoun on its own. In some contexts it can be nominalized as die Wenigen, referring to “the few.”

Usage and nuance

Wenige emphasizes that the number is small and often suggests a sense of scarcity or selectivity. It is commonly contrasted with andere quantities such as einige (some), mehrere (several), and viele (many). It is also distinguished from wenig, which denotes a small amount for uncountable quantities rather than a countable set. Examples: Wenige Menschen nahmen teil. Nur wenige wussten davon. Es blieben wenige übrig.

Declension and form

As a plural determiner, wenige inflects for case and number. The nominative and accusative plural form is wenige, while the dative plural form is wenigen. In some sentences, wenige can be used as a pronoun or be nominalized as die Wenigen to refer collectively to a small group.

Relation to related terms

Wenige is part of a family of German quantifiers that express quantity, including wenig (little), einige (some), mehrere (several), and viele (many). Its use tends to be more formal or literary than everyday speech, where synonyms such as “einige” might be chosen for a softer implication.

See also

Wenig, Einige, Mehrere, Viele.