several
Loading your saved state.
several
Refers to an indefinite number of people or things that is greater than one or two, but not very large; synonymous with 'some' or 'a number of'.
Bei dem Treffen waren mehrere Experten anwesend.
Several experts were present at the meeting.
'Mehrere' (several) is always used for a plurality of people or things and therefore always appears in the plural. It is declined like an adjective in the plural.
Ich habe mit mehreren Kollegen darüber gesprochen.
I spoke with several colleagues about it.
'Mehrere' (several) is derived from 'mehr' (more). While 'mehr' expresses a comparison, e.g. 'mehr Zeit' (more time), 'mehrere' refers to an indefinite number.
Für dieses Projekt brauchen wir mehrere Wochen.
We need several weeks for this project.
'Mehrere' (several) can stand directly before a noun or be used on its own as a pronoun when the context makes clear what it refers to.
Mehrere Studenten haben die Prüfung bestanden.
Several students passed the exam.
a few
Ein paar and mehrere both refer to an indefinite number of people or things. Ein paar usually emphasizes a small amount, while mehrere tends to signal a larger or more strongly emphasized plurality. For a small number of questions, ein paar is appropriate; for a clearly emphasized plurality, mehrere is more suitable.
Nach dem Vortrag stellte ich noch mehrere Fragen.
After the lecture, I asked several more questions.
Nach dem Vortrag stellte ich noch ein paar Fragen.
After the lecture, I asked a few more questions.
