poco

a little

adverb adjective POH-koh Common

Origin: From Latin paucus (few).

Also means

few

Usage Note

Poco as an adverb modifies adjectives or verbs (habla poco — speaks little; poco interesante — not very interesting). As an adjective it agrees with the noun (pocos amigos — few friends; poca agua — little water). The diminutive poquito / poquitín is very common in spoken Spanish for 'a tiny bit'. Don't confuse un poco (a little, positive) with poco alone, which often implies 'not much'.

Examples

"Habla un poco de inglés."

Natural Translation

He speaks a little English.

Literal Translation

He-speaks a little of English

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