ма́ло vs немно́го

malo vs nemnogo — little/not much vs a little

What it really means

Ма́ло means “little,” “not much,” or “not enough,” and often suggests that the quantity falls short of what is needed or expected. It can modify an uncountable noun in the genitive (ма́ло вре́мени, “little time”) or stand alone: я ма́ло сплю, “I sleep little.” It may sound neutral or evaluative depending on context, but it commonly highlights insufficiency.

Немно́го means “a little,” “a small amount,” or “not much” in a softer, more limited sense. It can modify an uncountable noun in the genitive (немно́го во́ды) and can also modify an adjective or adverb: немно́го уста́лый, “a little tired.” The contrast is not an exact numerical measurement: ма́ло emphasizes too little or a low amount, while немно́го presents a modest amount without necessarily judging it insufficient.

Examples in natural speech

У нас ма́ло вре́мени до по́езда.
We have little time before the train.
Он ма́ло спит по будня́м.
He sleeps little on weekdays.
До́бавь немно́го молока́ в ко́фе.
Add a little milk to the coffee.
Я немно́го уста́л, но могу́ рабо́тать.
I am a little tired, but I can work.
Она́ говори́т по-ру́сски немно́го, но понима́ет ма́ло сло́в.
She speaks a little Russian, but understands few words.

Common mistakes

Do not treat ма́ло and немно́го as interchangeable in a positive offer or complaint. Ма́ло вре́мени often implies there is not enough time, while немно́го вре́мени can simply mean a small amount of time. With countable nouns, use ма́ло/немно́го + genitive plural: ма́ло кни́г, немно́го кни́г; with uncountables, use genitive singular: ма́ло во́ды, немно́го во́ды.

Memory tip

Ма́ло leaves you short; немно́го gives you a small portion.

Frequently asked questions

Do both words take the genitive case?

Yes when they quantify a noun: ма́ло де́нег and немно́го де́нег. Countable nouns are genitive plural; mass nouns are usually genitive singular.

Does мало always mean “not enough”?

It often implies insufficiency, especially in ма́ло вре́мени or ма́ло де́нег, but context can make it a neutral statement about a low quantity.

Can немного modify an adjective?

Yes: немно́го сло́жный means “a little difficult,” and немно́го уста́лый means “a little tired.” Ма́ло is generally about quantity or frequency instead.

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