German word

Handvoll

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈhantˌfɔl/

Meaning

  • feminine nounhandful

Example

Ich nehme eine Handvoll Nüsse.

I take a handful of nuts.

Illustration for Handvoll (handful)

More examples

Im Supermarkt waren nur noch eine Handvoll Äpfel.

There were only a handful of apples left in the supermarket.

Core concept

One open palm gathers a few berries, grains, or other items into a visibly small cluster.

Common phrases

  • eine Handvoll Leute

    a handful of people

  • eine Handvoll Beweise

    a handful of pieces of evidence

  • nur eine Handvoll

    only a handful

Similar words

Paar: Two items or people forming one set.
Menge: The quantity of things or people considered as a whole.
Anzahl: A count showing how many items or people there are.
Bisschen: A tiny amount or limited degree of something.

Definition in German

Bezeichnet eine kleine, ungefähre Menge, die etwa in eine Hand passt und nicht exakt gemessen wird.

Word origin

The compound Handvoll combines Hand with voll and names a quantity associated with the space a hand can hold.

Usage tips

  • Eine Handvoll can also refer to a small group of people, as in eine Handvoll Leute.

Opposites

  • Überflussabundancenoun
  • Massemassnoun

Word lists with this word