This is the 104th most frequent Czech word.
pár
A couple; a few.
In this sentence, 'pár' is used to denote a small, indeterminate number of people, functioning as a quantifier similar to 'a few' in English.
Na večírku bylo jen pár lidí.
There were only a few people at the party.
Here, 'pár' refers to a set of two items that belong together (shoes), being equivalent to the English 'pair'.
Koupil jsem si nový pár bot.
I bought a new pair of shoes.
In this context, 'pár' expresses a small quantity or short duration, aligned with the English 'a few'.