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"Un poco de" is a phrase which is often translated as "a bit of", and "poco" is an adjective which is often translated as "little". Learn more about the difference between "un poco de" and "poco" below.
un poco de(
oon
poh
-
koh
deh
)A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
1. (general)
a. a bit of
El ambiente está muy cargado. Voy a salir a la terraza, necesito un poco de aire.It's very stuffy in here. I'm going out to the terrace; I need a bit of air.
b. a little
Si tuviera un poco de dinero, me compraba un pequeño terreno en el campo y me hacía una casa.If I had a little money, I'd buy a small piece of land in the country and build a house.
c. a little bit of
Todo lo que te pedí fue un poco de amor, nada más, pero ni eso supiste darme.All I asked from you was a little bit of love, no more, but you couldn't even give me that.
d. some
Ve a casa de la vecina a pedirle un poco de sal. Nos hemos quedado sin.Go to the neighbor's to ask for some salt. We have none left.
poco(
poh
-
koh
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
1. (not much)
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Duerme muy poco los fines de semana.He doesn't sleep much on weekends.
Últimamente nos vemos muy poco.We don't see much of each other lately.
A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun (e.g., she).
a. little
Con lo poco que me quedaba, pude arreglarme.I was able to manage with the little I had left.
6. (not many)
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Menos mal que pocos piensan como él.It's just as well not many people think like he does.
Hay pocos que se molestarían en ayudarlo como tú.There are few who would bother helping him like you do.
