Lesson 11 Packed trains

I take a packed commuter train into Tokyo every morning, so I envy people like Mami who take almost empty trains in the opposite direction. But what does Mami get wrong about her train?

Tom: I hate taking the train into Tokyo during rush hour.
Mami: I’m lucky. I commute away from Tokyo, so there are little people on my train.

Unless Mami’s train is full of elementary school students, she means “few people.” “Little” describes size, not number. To indicate a small number, use “few”: “there are few people on my train.” I wish there were few people on my train!