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How to use small quantity words in Mandarin Chinese?

By: Grace Zhang Fri Aug 30 2024
Mandarin chinese
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Use small quantity words in Mandarin Chinese to describe “a small amount of stuff.” Small quantity words in Mandarin include:

Small quantity word
Translation
一点 (yīdiǎn)

a little/a bit

有点 (yǒudiǎn)

a bit/kind of

一些 (yīxiē)

several/some

少数 (shǎoshù)

minority

稍微 (shāowēi)

slightly

一下 (yīxià)

one time

一会儿 (yīhuǐr)

a short while

While the seven words above all indicate a small amount, they differ in meaning and usage. For example, the quantity of 一些 (yīxiē) is commonly perceived as more than that of 一点 (yīdiǎn). There are also differences as to where they are placed in a sentence.

Five of them play an important role in polite language making, including 一点 (yīdiǎn), 有点 (yǒudiǎn), 一下 (yīxià), 一会儿 (yīhuǐr), and 稍(微) (shāo(wēi)). These five words use their common meaning of “a little bit” to soften the speaker’s tone and make requests and things like that less imposing.

Intrigued? Dive in to get more information about small quantity words in Mandarin.

Table of Contents

    When to use 一点 (yīdiǎn, “a little/a bit”) in Mandarin Chinese?

    When 一点 (yīdiǎn) is followed by a noun, it indicates a small amount of something. For example:

    我喝了一点

    (Wǒ hē le yīdiǎn chá.)

    I had a little tea.

    When 一点 (yīdiǎn) follows an adjective / verb, it indicates a small amount or a low degree. This structure is usually used in a comparative sense, like the “-er” ending in English. For example:

    这条裙子比那条一点

    (Zhè tiáo qúnzi bǐ nà tiáo dà yīdiǎn.)

    This skirt is a little bigger than that one.

    请你走一点

    (Qǐng nǐ zǒu kuài yīdiǎn.)

    Please go a bit faster.

    你还是买便宜一点的房子吧。

    (Nǐ háishì mǎi piányi yīdiǎn de fángzi ba.)

    You'd better buy a house that is a bit cheaper.

    Tip

    一点 (yīdiǎn) can be shortened to , so 一点 (yīdiǎn) in the above sentences can all be shortened to . For example:

    我喝了一点茶 = 我喝了茶.

    (Wǒ hē le yīdiǎn chá = Wǒ hē le diǎn chá.)

    I had a little tea.

    The standard pronunciation of 一点 (yīdiǎn) in conversations is 一点儿 (yīdiǎnr), and 点儿 (diǎnr).

    一点 (yīdiǎn) is also used in idiomatic phrases. For example, both 一点都不/没 (yīdiǎn dōu bù/méi, not at all) and 一点都/也没 (yīdiǎn dōu/yě méi, not at all)indicate a complete negation. The latter is used for a past event, and the former is used for a present or future event. For example:

    一点都不喜欢这个城市。

    (Wǒ yīdiǎn dōu bù xǐhuan zhè ge chéngshì.)

    I don't like this city at all.

    妈妈做的饭,他一点都没吃。

    (Māma zuò de fàn, tā yīdiǎn dōu méi chī.)

    He didn't eat at all what his mother cooked.

    When to use 有点 (yǒudiǎn, “a bit/kind of”) in Mandarin Chinese?

    Use 有点 (yǒudiǎn) as a small quantity word with adjectives and verbs. It does not usually modify a noun as a small quantity word. For example:

    有点

    (Wǒ yǒudiǎn lèi.)

    I am a bit tired.

    (lèi, tired) in the above sentence is an adjective, and 有点 (yǒudiǎn) describes the low degree of tiredness.

    有点家了。

    (Wǒ yǒudiǎn xiǎng jiā le.)

    I'm a little homesick.

    小王有点上小李了。

    (Xiǎo Wáng yǒudiǎn ài shàng Xiǎo Lǐ le.)

    Xiao Wang is kind of in love with Xiao Li.

    The above two examples illustrate how 有点 (yǒudiǎn) is used with verbs. The verbs here tend to indicate emotions and feelings, exemplified by (xiǎng, think/miss), (ài, love), 喜欢 (xǐhuan, like), 遗憾 (yíhàn, regret), 讨厌 (tǎoyàn, hate), 害怕 (hàipà, fear), (hèn, hate), (fán, annoy), 生气 (shēngqì, be angry), 怀疑 (huáiyí, doubt).

    Tip

    有点 (yǒudiǎn) in the above sentences can be replaced by 有一点 (yǒuyīdiǎn). For example:

    有点累。 = 我有一点累。

    (Wǒ yǒudiǎn lèi. = Wǒ yǒuyīdiǎn lèi.)

    I'm a little tired.

    When 有点 (yǒudiǎn) appears before nouns, it is actually in a different structure from when it appears before adjectives / verbs. For example:

    (Wǒ yǒudiǎn qián.)

    I have a bit of money.

    Here is the verb “have” and means “small amount.”

    有点紧张

    (Wǒ yǒudiǎn jǐnzhāng.)

    I am a little nervous.

    (→ 有点 = “small amount”)

    While 一点 (yīdiǎn) and 有点 (yǒudiǎn) both mean “a little / a bit,” they do have differences in use. 一点 (yīdiǎn) needs to be placed after adjectives or verbs, but 有点 (yǒudiǎn) is placed before adjectives or verbs. Also, adjective + 一点 (yīdiǎn) is usually used in a comparative sense and 有点 (yǒudiǎn) + adjective for general description.

    Structure
    一点 (yīdiǎn)
    有点 (yǒudiǎn)

    + adjective

    after adjective

    这本书比那本书一点

    (Zhè běn shū bǐ nà běn shū guì yīdiǎn.)

    This book is a little more expensive than that one.

    before adjective

    有点害羞

    (Tā yǒudiǎn hàixiū.)

    He is a little shy.

    + verb

    after verb

    请往左边一点

    (Qǐng wǎng zuǒbiān nuó yīdiǎn.)

    Please move a little to the left.

    before verb

    有点去。

    (Tā yǒudiǎn xiǎng qù.)

    He kind of wants to go.

    + noun

    before noun

    我买了一点青菜

    (Wǒ mǎi le yīdiǎn qīngcài.)

    I bought some vegetables.

    (lit.) I bought a little vegetable.

    N/A

    When to use 一点 (yīdiǎn, “a little/a bit”) vs. 一些 (yīxiē, “several/some”) in Mandarin Chinese?

    一点 (yīdiǎn) stresses “a bit of something,” but 一些 (yīxiē) conveys “some.” 一些 (yīxiē) typically goes with countable items (e.g., “books”). The quantity of 一些 (yīxiē) is commonly perceived as more than that of 一点 (yīdiǎn), just like “some” is mostly more than “a little” in English. For example, the quantity of 一些苹果 (yīxiē píngguǒ, some apples) is usually more than the quantity of 一点苹果 (yīdiǎn píngguǒ, a small quantity of apples) , which literally means “a bit of apple.” For example:

    我买了一点

    (Wǒ mǎi le yīdiǎn lí.)

    I bought a small quantity of pears.

    (lit.) I bought a bit of pear.

    我买了一些

    (Wǒ mǎi le yīxiē lí.)

    I bought some pears.

    As shown in the above sentences, when 一点 (yīdiǎn) can be used with a countable noun like in the first sentence, it highlights a small singular amount (“a bit of pear”). 一些 (yīxiē), on the other hand, refers to a small but plural amount ("several / some apples"), which could be 5, 7, 10, etc.

    Tip

    Here 一点 (yīdiǎn lí, a bit of pear) can also mean “a bit of a pear,” but because we don’t normally buy half a pear, 一点 (yīdiǎn lí) usually means "a small amount," maybe one or two or three.

    There are some cases where 一点 (yīdiǎn) can be used but not 一些 (yīxiē), and vice versa. For example, when giving a present, the humble Chinese giver tends to say to the receiver: 一点小意思, 请笑纳 (Yīdiǎn xiǎoyìsi, qǐng xiàonà, This is a small token of gratitude. Please accept it). 一点 (yīdiǎn) here highlights the “insignificance” of the present. In this case, we cannot say 一些小意思,请笑纳, because 一些 (yīxiē) does not have the strong sense of “insignificance” like 一点 (yīdiǎn) has.

    一点 (yīdiǎn) can also be used as a polite expression. For example, although your Chinese may be very good, when asked, you should still say, 我就会一点汉语 (Wǒ jiù huì yīdiǎn Hànyǔ, I only know a bit of Chinese). This is to show that you are modest and humble, which would give people a good impression.

    Important

    一点 (yīdiǎn) cannot be used with certain types of words, such as animals, people, or furniture.

    ✓ 那边有一些狗。

    (Nàbiān yǒu yīxiē gǒu.)

    There are some dogs over there.

    ✗ 那边有一点

    (Nàbiān yǒu yīdiǎn gǒu.)

    There is a bit of a dog over there.

    一些老师是女的。

    (Yīxiē lǎoshī shì nǚde.)

    Some teachers are female.

    一点老师是女的。

    (Yīdiǎn lǎoshī shì nǚde.)

    There is a bit of a teacher that is female.

    ✓ 我买了一些椅子。

    (Wǒ mǎi le yīxiē yǐzi.)

    I bought some chairs.

    ✗ 我买了一点椅子。

    (Wǒ mǎi le yīdiǎn yǐzi.)

    I bought a bit of a chair.

    One of the possible reasons that 一点 (yīdiǎn) cannot be used in the above sentences is that “dog,” “teacher,” “chair” cannot be portioned out to mean "a bit."

    一点 (yīdiǎn) and 一些 (yīxiē) can also be used to describe a low degree, and usually in the sense of comparison. They appear after (not before) an adjective / verb. For example:

    他比我一点

    (Tā bǐ wǒ gāo yīdiǎn.)

    He is a little taller than me.

    X 他比我一点

    He is a little taller than me.

    说话小声一些

    (Shuōhuà xiǎoshēng yīxiē.)

    Speak a bit quietly please.

    X 说话一些小声

    Speak a bit quietly please.

    How to use 少数 (shǎoshù, “minority”) and 稍微 (shāowēi, “slightly”)?

    少数 (shǎoshù) and 稍微 (shāowēi) are different in use. 少数 (shǎoshù) tends to go with nouns, while 少数 (shǎoshù) goes with verbs or adjectives. For example:

    少数服从多数人。

    (Shǎoshù rén fúcóng duōshù rén.)

    Minority obeys majority.

    In this sentence above, 少数 (shǎoshù) goes with the noun (rén, people). 稍微 (shāowēi), on the other hand, tends to go with a verb or an adjective, indicating a low degree. For example:

    稍微点了点头。

    (Tā shāowēi diǎn le diǎn tóu.)

    He nodded slightly.

    他的脸稍微有点

    (Tā de liǎn shāowēi yǒu diǎn hóng.)

    His face is slightly red.

    稍微 (shāowēi) tends to double up with another word referring to a small amount. For example, in the second sentence, means “a bit,” so 稍微 (shāowēi) and mean a lower degree and a small amount. The purpose of using the two together is to emphasize the smallness of the item being described, in this case, the redness on his face.

    There are some idiomatic uses of 稍微 (shāowēi), where  (wēi) is omitted. For example, (shāoděng, just a minute), (shāohòu, a moment later), 纵即逝 (shāozòngjíshì, fleeting).

    How to use polite language with small quantity words in Mandarin?

    Small quantity words can also be used to speak politely in Mandarin. For example, if you want to ask someone to speak more slowly, you can say, 说慢一点可以吗 (Shuō màn yīdiǎn kěyǐ ma, Can you speak a bit slowly?), where 一点 (yīdiǎn, a bit) functions as a politeness word. We can also use the following words to show politeness: 有点 (yǒudiǎn, a bit), 一下 (yíxià, one time), 一会儿 (yíhuìr, a short while), and 稍(微) (shāo (wēi), slightly), among others.

    These politeness words are usually used in a request, in non-positive comments, and where polite language is warranted to mitigate any possible adversarial impact.

    Often, the small quantity words can be used together with other politeness words (e.g. (qǐng, please), 麻烦 (máfan, sorry to bother you)), or combined with other small quantity words (e.g. 稍微有点 (shāowēi yǒudiǎn, just a little bit)) to enhance politeness.

    Politeness in Mandarin is very important; otherwise even if you know all the words you may still come across as a rude speaker. Like in English, “Pass me the salt” sounds a bit blunt, whereas “Would you please pass me the salt?” is more polite. In Mandarin Chinese, you can use (qǐng, please) to express politeness, as in 问去图书馆怎么走 (Qǐngwèn qù túshūguǎn zěnme zǒu, Could you please let me know where the library is?). Similarly, you can also use 麻烦 (máfan, sorry to bother you) to do the same, as in 麻烦您去图书馆怎么走 (Máfan nín qù túshūguǎn zěnme zǒu, Sorry to bother you, could you please let me know where the library is?). But you can also use small quantity words. Let’s explore them one by one.

    How to use 一点 (yīdiǎn, “a bit”) to express politeness in Mandarin Chinese?

    When you make a request, adding 一点 (yīdiǎn) to your request indicates that you “just want a little bit of something.” In doing so, you come across as more polite. Here are some comparisons between the polite and less polite versions.

    您能走快一点吗?

    (Nín néng zǒu kuài yīdiǎn ma?)

    Could you walk a bit faster?

    (→ polite version)

    快走!

    (Kuài zǒu!)

    Walk quickly!

    (→ not so polite version)

    可以给茶壶里加一点热水吗?

    (Kěyǐ gěi cháhú lǐ jiā yīdiǎn rèshuǐ ma?)

    Can you add some hot water to the teapot?

    (→ polite version)

    给茶壶里加热水。

    (Gěi cháhú lǐ jiā rèshuǐ.)

    Add hot water to the teapot.

    (→ not so polite version)

    As shown above, polite versions tend to have politeness words and are in question forms. Less polite versions tend to be shorter in length and in non-question forms.

    Tip

    (nín, you) here is a polite form of (, you). Sentences with  (nín) are more polite than the ones with  () or without  (nín).

    How to use 有点 (yǒudiǎn, “a bit”) to express politeness in Mandarin Chinese?

    Similar to 一点 (yīdiǎn), sentences with 有点 (yǒudiǎn) can also appear to be polite.

    屋里有点冷,麻烦您关上窗好吗?

    (Wūli yǒudiǎn lěng, máfan nín guānshàng chuāng hǎo ma?)

    It's a little cold in the room, would you mind closing the window?

    有点不高兴,我就不说了。

    (Tā yǒudiǎn bù gāoxìng, wǒ jiù bù shuō le.)

    He is a little unhappy, so I will stop talking.

    In the second sentence, 他不高兴 (Tā bù gāoxìng, He is unhappy) sounds a bit blunt and could be perceived as being critical. The function of 有点 (yǒudiǎn) is to soften the possible critical tone, making the sentence much more polite.

    How to use 一下 (yíxià, “short time, once”) to express politeness in Mandarin Chinese?

    一下 (yíxià, one time) accompanies a verb, meaning that the action is for a short while or can be done casually. This word is often used to soften the tone. For example:

    请坐一下

    (Qǐng zuò yīxià.)

    Please sit down for a bit.

    让我试一下

    (Ràng wǒ shì yīxià.)

    Let me try it for a bit.

    一下 (yīxià, Translation)in the above sentences brings about a polite request.

    How to use 一会儿 (yíhuìr, “a short while”) to express politeness in Mandarin Chinese?

    一会儿 (yíhuìr, a short while), like 一下 (yíxià, Translation) above, can also be used to make a polite sentence. For example:

    我过去跟朋友一会儿

    (Wǒ guòqù gēn péngyou shuō yīhuǐr huà.)

    I’ll go to talk to my friend for a bit.

    (→ used before a noun)

    一会儿,我马上就来。

    (Qǐng děng yīhuǐr, wǒ mǎshàng jiù lái.)

    Please wait a moment, please. I'll be right there.

    (→ used after a verb)

    The politeness in the above two sentences is to ask permissions indirectly by using 一会儿 (yíhuìr). With the meaning of “a short while,” the speaker sort of says, “It won’t be long, so please allow me to do it.”

    一下 (yīxià) and 一会儿 (yīhuǐr) are mostly interchangeable. For example, we can say 请坐一下/一会儿 (Please sit down for a bit) or 请等一下/一会儿 (Please wait for a moment, Translation). However, 一下 often indicates a shorter time span than 一会儿 does. For example 一会儿 (shuō yīhuǐr huà, chat for a short while) could be 30 mins, but 一下 (shuō yīxià huà, chat for a bit) would be less than that.

    Tip

    The difference between 一点 (yīdiǎn) and 一会儿 (yīhuǐr) is that 一点 (yīdiǎn) refers to “a bit” of something (e.g., 您能加一点糖吗 (Nín néng jiā yīdiǎn táng ma, Can you add a little sugar?)), but 一会儿 (yīhuǐr) refers to “a short while” with a focus on time period (as shown by the above two sentences here).

    How to use 稍(微) (shāo(wēi), “slightly”) to express politeness in Mandarin Chinese?

    稍(微) (shāo(wēi)) can be used alongside another small quantity word to increase the level of politeness of a sentence in Mandarin Chinese. For example:

    等,菜马上就好。

    (Qǐng shāo děng, cài mǎshàng jiù hǎo.)

    Just a moment, please. The food will be ready very soon.

    麻烦您把音乐稍微调小一点,谢谢!

    (Máfan nín bǎ yīnyuè shāowéi diáo xiǎo yīdiǎn, xièxiè!)

    Please turn down the music a little. Thank you!

    As shown in the second sentence above, 稍微 (shāowēi) together with 一点 (yīdiǎn) enables the speaker to ask the listener to turn down the music very nicely. The purpose of using the two together is to emphasize the meaning of “just a little bit please.”

    Note that in the second sentence, the speaker adds 谢谢 (xièxiè) to the end of sentence to further show politeness while requesting. Also, in both sentences, (qǐng, please) and 麻烦 (máfan, sorry to bother you) are added to enhance the degree of politeness, but they are not necessary and can be omitted.

    To sum up

    In this post, we’ve reviewed small quantity words in Mandarin and discussed seven words in particular, which all convey the meaning of “a small amount.”

    Small quantity word
    Translation
    Before/after noun
    Before/after verb/adjective
    一点 (yīdiǎn)

    a bit

    before

    after

    有点 (yǒudiǎn)

    a bit

    not used with nouns

    before

    一些 (yīxiē)

    several/some

    before

    after

    少数 (shǎoshù)

    minority

    before

    N/A

    稍(微) (shāo(wēi))

    slightly

    N/A

    before

    一下 (yīxià)

    a short time/once

    N/A

    after

    一会儿 (yīhuǐr)

    a short while

    before

    after

    Among these seven words, five of them play an important role in polite language making, including 一点 (yīdiǎn), 有点 (yǒudiǎn), 一下 (yīxià), 一会儿 (yīhuǐr), and 稍(微) (shāo(wēi)). These five words use their common meaning of “a little bit” to soften the speaker’s tone and make requests and things like that less imposing.

    Okay, now it is time to put the above into practice. Click on these exercises to practice using small quantity words to express politeness in Mandarin.

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