VOA一分钟英语：如何使用 little 和 a little？

虽然 “little” 和 “a little” 都可以用来表示 “事物的数量少”，但它们的用法却不同。“Little” 表示 “几乎没有”；而 “a little” 则表示 “有一点”。
 
Hi, I'm Phil and I'm going to tell you the difference between little, and a little. Yes! They almost mean the same thing. No! We don't use them in the same way. They both refer to small quantities, and we use them with uncountable nouns.
If we use little with no article – then it is usually negative – the small quantity is a problem!
There's little money left – we can't buy anything!
Or: There's little time left – we need to start now!
But if we use a little with the article, it's usually positive. It always means 'at least we've got some!'
We've got a little money. Let's spend it on a party!
We've got a little time. Let's have some tea.
Remember it like this:
If you've got a little money, but little time – you could pay someone to help you.
But, if you've got little money, and a little time – you should do it yourself!
 
用法总结
1 “Little” 的意思是 “很少，几乎没有”，用来表达消极的情绪，表明 “数量少是一个问题”。 
There's little money left – we can't buy anything!
There's little time left – we need to start now!
 
2  “A little” 的意思是 “一点，少量”，用来表达积极的态度，表明 “起码还有一点”。
We've got a little money. Let's spend it on a party!
We've got a little time. Let's have some tea.