(a) little sugar

[dewedfrost]

Would you like some coffee? Yes, but with (a) little sugar.
Can you help me, please?
What had I better say? With or without "a"?
I think that both opions are grammatically correct, but:

1) Yes, but with a little sugar: I'd rather have some sugar in my coffee, I don't like bitter coffee.

2) Yes, but with little sugar: I'd rather have some coffee, but with only a little sugar because I'm on a strict diet.

Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[GoesStation]

You need the indefinite article in this dialog. With little sugar is grammatical but not natural in the given context. It does mean generally "not very much sugar".

Isn't it the same in Italian?

 

[GoesStation]

Also answered here.

 

[dewedfrost]

https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/a-little-a-few.html

Sorry, but I'm getting a little bit confused. In my grammar book or in the Internet (as shown in the link above), they say that "a little" means "not much, but enough" (positive meaning), while "little" is "not much, a very small amount of, even a too small amount of something" (negative meaning).

So, if I order a coffee with little sugar, I want my coffee to be nearly bitter, while if I order a coffee with a little sugar, I want my coffee to be sweet enough, because I don't like drinking coffee with a too small amount of sugar in it.

Is my reasoning wrong?

Or is it just a matter of context? Therefore, while ordering a coffee, I'm supposed to be asking for a coffee with a little sugar, more than a coffee with little sugar.

 

[Rover_KE]

Also answered here.

dewedfrost,

'We recommend posting a question on one forum only initially. If you do not get a satisfactory answer from that forum and you feel that you have exhausted its possibilities, then of course trying a different forum might help. It is only courteous however, to tell the second forum that you have already asked the question on another forum and then give a precis of the answers you received there, or provide a link to it, along with an e'xplanation of why you are now looking elsewhere.'
(emsr2d2)

 

[jutfrank]

In my grammar book or in the Internet (as shown in the link above), they say that "a little" means "not much, but enough" (positive meaning), while "little" is "not much, a very small amount of, even a too small amount of something" (negative meaning).

Yes, that's basically right.

So, if I order a coffee with little sugar, I want my coffee to be nearly bitter, while if I order a coffee with a little sugar, I want my coffee to be sweet enough, because I don't like drinking coffee with a too small amount of sugar in it.

No, you wouldn't order a coffee with an unsatisfactory amount of sugar! If it's sweet enough for you, regardless of how much sugar is in it, it is still 'positive'.

Could you add more sugar? There's very little in here. = (This works because it shows that the quantity is unsatisfactory.)

A: Would you like sugar?
B: Yes please, but only a very little amount. = ( A small quantity is to my satisfaction.)

 

[dewedfrost]

Thank you so much to all of you! I apologise...I didn't mean to seem impolite. I allowed myself to ask for your suggestion, even though I had already searched for an explanation somewhere else. I really appreciate your help and suggestion.