English grammar
Fewer or less? Fewer churros, less milk, less than a day
Use fewer with things you count and less with amounts.
From the scene Ten items or less
In short
Fewer with plural things you can count; less with amounts and uncountables, and less than with time or money.
- plural, countable fewer churros
- plural, countable fewer customers
- uncountable less milk
- an amount of time less than a day
- careful writing ten items or fewer
Your turn
Which one goes with plural, countable?
Options: fewer customers · fewer churros · less milk
Show answer
plural, countable → fewer customers
How it works
Use fewer with plural nouns you can count: fewer churros, fewer customers.
Good to know
Use less with things you cannot count: less coffee, less milk.
Good to know
With an amount of time, money or distance, use less than, even with a number: less than a day, less than ten euros.
Good to know
Less with plural nouns is very common in speech, but careful writing still prefers fewer.
plural, countable fewer churros
Nuria
Bank managers count. Fewer churros, fewer arepas. But less coffee, less milk.
Los del banco cuentan. Menos churros, menos arepas: «fewer». Pero menos café, menos leche: «less».
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Bank managers count. (blank), fewer arepas. But less coffee, less milk.
Options: Less than a day · Fewer churros · Fewer customers
Show answer
Nuria
Bank managers count. Fewer churros, fewer arepas. But less coffee, less milk.
Los del banco cuentan. Menos churros, menos arepas: «fewer». Pero menos café, menos leche: «less».
plural, countable fewer customers
Nuria
Not even coffee? Then write: "Tomorrow: fewer customers."
¿Ni café? Entonces escribe: «Mañana: menos clientes.»
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Not even coffee? Then write: "Tomorrow: (blank)."
Options: fewer customers · fewer churros · less milk
Show answer
Nuria
Not even coffee? Then write: "Tomorrow: fewer customers."
¿Ni café? Entonces escribe: «Mañana: menos clientes.»
uncountable less milk
Nuria
Bank managers count. Fewer churros, fewer arepas. But less coffee, less milk.
Los del banco cuentan. Menos churros, menos arepas: «fewer». Pero menos café, menos leche: «less».
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Bank managers count. Fewer churros, fewer arepas. But less coffee, (blank).
Options: less than a day · less milk · fewer customers
Show answer
Nuria
Bank managers count. Fewer churros, fewer arepas. But less coffee, less milk.
Los del banco cuentan. Menos churros, menos arepas: «fewer». Pero menos café, menos leche: «less».
an amount of time less than a day
Tomás
And if it's not fixed in less than a day, no coffee and no arepas.
Y como no esté arreglada en menos de un día, ni café ni arepas.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
And if it's not fixed in (blank), no coffee and no arepas.
Options: less than a day · fewer churros · fewer customers
Show answer
Tomás
And if it's not fixed in less than a day, no coffee and no arepas.
Y como no esté arreglada en menos de un día, ni café ni arepas.
careful writing ten items or fewer
Nuria
Lots of people say that. But careful writers prefer "ten items or fewer".
Mucha gente lo dice. Pero quien escribe con cuidado prefiere «ten items or fewer».
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Lots of people say that. But careful writers prefer "(blank)".
Options: fewer customers · ten items or fewer · fewer churros
Show answer
Nuria
Lots of people say that. But careful writers prefer "ten items or fewer".
Mucha gente lo dice. Pero quien escribe con cuidado prefiere «ten items or fewer».
Common mistake
Not fewer or lesser here. An amount of time.
And if it's not fixed in less than a day, no coffee and no arepas.
Y como no esté arreglada en menos de un día, ni café ni arepas.
Practise it in the story
Meet this rule inside a short animated scene. Answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
Practise free in the appSee all forms
| plural, countable | fewer churros |
|---|---|
| plural, countable | fewer customers |
| uncountable | less milk |
| an amount of time | less than a day |
| careful writing | ten items or fewer |
More lines from the story
- TomásAt the supermarket it says "ten items or less"!¡En el súper pone «diez artículos o menos» con «less»!
- TomásAnd what about yesterday? There was... there was a problem with the coffee machine.¿Y lo de ayer? Hubo... hubo un problema con la cafetera.