A little and little are used for uncountable nouns and a few and few for countable nouns. Sugar isuncountable and so either a little or very little is the possible answer. Very little or very few means hardly any or not enough. Since it wasn't possible to make the tea, the appropriate answer is very little since there wasn't enough to make the tea. A little, a few, very little, very few The expressions a little and a few mean some or enough. The expressions (very) little and (very) few mean hardly any or not enough.