Few, a few

Few has an almost negative meaning and can be replaced with not many, hardly, or any.
A few has a positive meaning and means a small number of or some.
Note how few and a few are used in the following sentences.

1. You lost marks because you made a few mistakes in your essay.
2. Few people live to be a hundred.
3. We went to Bangalore for a few days.
4. Few people own cars in this city.
5. I have few enemies, but I have a lot of friends.
6. He doesn't speak much. He is a man of few words.