few hours

You can use it at the start or end of a sentence. Use it with in a to talk about the future. Use it with for a to talk about duration. You don't need to be precise. If the task takes three hours or four, few hours covers you perfectly. It sounds natural and relaxed in almost any conversation.

Use it when your phone battery is at 10%. Use it when you are starting a long movie. It is perfect for professional emails when you need a little time. Use it when meeting friends for drinks. It works well when you are stuck in traffic. It tells people to be patient but not to give up on you.

Do not use it for very short tasks. If you are just grabbing coffee, say five minutes. Do not use it for very long periods. If you are going away for a week, few hours will cause panic. Avoid it in high-precision situations. A surgeon should never say 'I will see you in a few hours' if the surgery is exactly forty minutes.

English speakers love being 'politely vague.' We often use few hours to avoid sounding too demanding or too rigid. It creates a comfortable buffer in social schedules. In fast-paced cities like New York, a few hours might feel like an eternity. In a sleepy village, it feels like a blink of an eye. It is a flexible social contract.

You will often hear a couple of hours. This technically means two, but people use it just like few hours. You might also hear several hours. This usually feels a bit longer, maybe five to eight. If you want to sound very casual, try a few hrs in a text message. It is the same meaning, just faster to type.