Many or much?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I need to talk about two places: one has many customers and the other one has just a few clients. If I were to talk about them in Spanish, I would have said "uno tiene muchos menos clientes que el otro".
How should I say this in English: "Much fewer customers" ("much" modifying "fewer") or "many fewer customers" ("many" modifying "customers")?


All help and explanations will be highly appreciated.

[SPX]

Much fewer would be correct. You wouldn't really say "many fewer."

"Much fewer" . . . "many more."

Or you could say "a lot less."

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

How should I say this in English: "Much fewer customers" ("much" modifying "fewer") or "many fewer customers" ("many" modifying "customers")?

Originally Posted by SPX

Much fewer would be correct. You wouldn't really say "many fewer."

"Much fewer" . . . "many more."

Or you could say "a lot less."

Sorry, I disagree. "Much fewer" is uncommon, "a lot less" is absolutely wrong.

For a start, "less" is only ever used for uncountables, so you can have less of a crowd, but fewer people. This is standard, but a lot of people don't know this.

"Much" is much more complicated because it is both an adjective and an adverb. Usually used for uncountables, whilst "many" is for countables, so there was much hope, and there were many possibilities.

The BNC gives 10 hits of "much fewer", but 117 hits on "far fewer". This one sounds much more natural to me, so I would say "far fewer customers" myself.

Edit: After much thought, I checked the OED and found that "much" can also be a quasi-noun (I didn't know they existed). For example "There is much in what you say".

[aleCcowaN]

CORPUS OF CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN ENGLISH

"much fewer" = 27 hits
"far fewer" = 674 hits

[Awaken]

This is a great question Angelica.

As add on to what Perkiles pointed out, less is only used for uncountables with the exception of money, time, and distance.

"many fewer" does not sound right to my ear. Even though many is the correct counting adjective, it just sounds wrong.

"far fewer" is definitely the way to go on this one and is what you would hear in speaking.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Awaken

As add on to what Perkiles pointed out, less is only used for uncountables with the exception of money, time, and distance.
.
.
"far fewer" is definitely the way to go on this one and is what you would hear in speaking.

Yep - far fewer people would use "many fewer" than the many using "far fewer".

But surely, money, distance and time are all uncountables I have less money, less time than most, and can travel less distance than most.

Please don't tell me you would say you have less dollars than me

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Thanks, everyone.
It's interesting to see this "asymmetry". Now I won't forget "far fewer".

@Perikles: "Much" is certainly tricky. I'll have to study much more.

@Awaken: So I should say that I have fewer money and fewer time or that the train is at a fewer distance from me? Or are you talking about the units for each?

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Perikles

I have less money, less time than most, and can travel less distance than most.

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

So I should say that I have fewer money and fewer time or that the train is at a fewer distance from me? Or are you talking about the units for each?

What I said above is absolutely correct. I await Awaken's answer. Wake up.

[Luna Azul]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

So I should say that I have fewer money and fewer time or that the train is at a fewer distance from me? Or are you talking about the units for each?

That sounds terrible.. I think Awaken made a mistake. He'll probably rectify..

I agree it was a very interesting question. It really made me think..

[SPX]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Sorry, I disagree. "Much fewer" is uncommon, "a lot less" is absolutely wrong.

Much fewer may be uncommon, but many fewer is never used. So given the choice . . . much fewer. Why would you disagree? I do think "far fewer" would be better, though.

As for "a lot less," well if you go somewhere regularly and one day you notice there are "fewer" people, you can say, "There are a lot less people here today." Likewise, someone might say, "There were a lot less customers today." Maybe the issue is between grammar books and how people in real life actually talk. At the end of the day I will always instruct people to sound normal if being "correct" means their speech will stand out as odd and unnatural.

Then again, maybe I didn't really understand the question because I couldn't read, "uno tiene muchos menos clientes que el otro." But based on the English, I stand by my answer.