Meaning · adverb
little, not much
In a sentence
Oggi ho dormito poco e sono stanco.
Today I slept little and I'm tired.
Ho studiato poco oggi.
I studied little today.
Aspetta un poco, arrivo subito.
Wait a little, I'm coming right away.
Usage notes
- Use 'poco' for uncountable quantities (e.g., 'poco zucchero'). For countable, use 'pochi/e' (e.g., 'pochi libri').
- 'Poco' often follows the verb (e.g., 'mangio poco'). Before nouns, it means 'little' (e.g., 'poco tempo').
- Avoid 'un poco' in formal writing; 'un po'' (with apostrophe) is informal but common in speech.
Meaning · noun
small amount
In a sentence
Ho ancora un poco di latte in frigo.
I still have a little milk in the fridge.
Hai un poco di tempo per me?
Do you have a little time for me?
Oggi c'è poco sole, resto a casa.
There's little sun today, I'm staying home.
Word forms (1)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|
| poco | masculine · singular |
Usage notes
- As a noun, poco is uncommon alone; you'll more often see un poco or a little in fixed expressions.
- Don't confuse noun poco with the adjective/adverb poco, which changes meaning by position and context.
- With nouns, use poco/poca/pochi/poche as an adjective; the standalone noun use is much more limited.
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