Comparing "youdian" and "yidian"

一点 (yīdiǎn) and 有点 (yǒudiǎn), usually pronounced 一点儿 (yīdiǎnr) and 有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr) in northern China, all mean pretty much the same thing—"a little" or "a bit"—but they have different uses in sentences.

Both Can Be Used for Describing Degree

Usage of 有点

有点 is placed before an adjective, and it usually expresses a complaint by the speaker, or some other form of negative impression. Its doesn't just mean "a bit," but rather "a bit too" (for my liking).

A few examples:

• 今天 我 有点 累 。Jīntiān wǒ yǒudiǎn lèi.I am a little tired today.
• 这个 菜 有点 咸 。Zhège cài yǒudiǎn xián.This dish is a bit salty.

Usage of 一点

一点 can't be placed before an adjective. Instead, it is placed after adjectives. The adjectives that can be used are particularly limited. 一点 is often used when comparing, or expressing the speaker’s wish or expectation. In this usage, 一点 can also be shortened to just 点。

A few examples:

• 请 说 慢 一点 。Qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn.Please speak a little more slowly.
• 快 点，要 迟到 了。Kuài diǎn, yào chídào le.Hurry up a bit, we're going to be late.
• 老板 ，便宜 点 吧 。Lǎobǎn, piányi diǎn ba.Boss [shop owner], a little cheaper, please.

有(一)点 Used for Describing Quantity

一点 can be placed before a noun to mean "small quantity," like 一点水，一点钱 while 有点 can't be used this way. Note that 有点 is also a shortened form of 有一点, which means "there is a little something.

A few examples to help you understand:

• 你 脸 上 有 一 点 灰 。Nǐ Liǎn shàng yǒu yī diǎn huī.There's a little dirt on your face.
• 你 碗里 还 有 点 饭 ，吃 完 吧 。Nǐ wǎn lǐ hái yǒu diǎn fàn, chī wán ba.There's still a little rice in your bowl. Finish eating it.

Negative Forms

You can use 不 or 没 after 有点 and before the adjective, however the following adjective should have a positive connotation, like 高兴 (gāoxìng), 舒服 (shūfu), 喜欢(xǐhuan) etc. This makes the overall emotion expressed feel negative still.

Some examples:

• 孩子们 有点 不 喜欢 我们 的 新 家 。Háizimen yǒudiǎn bù xǐhuan wǒmen de xīn jiā.Our children don't really like our new home.
• 她 有点 不 舒服 。Tā yǒudiǎn bù shūfu.She doesn't feel very well.
• 我 有点 不 相信 那 个人 。Wǒ yǒudiǎn bù xiāngxìn nàge rén.I don't really believe that guy.
• 我们 有点 没 听懂 。Wǒmen yǒudiǎn méi tīngdǒng.We didn't really understand much.

一点 cannot be linked together directly, but can be used in the 一点也不 or 一点也没 structure to mean "not at all."

A few examples:

• 这个 菜 一点 也 不 辣 。Zhège cài yīdiǎn yě bù là.This dish is not spicy at all.
• 作业 你 一点 也 没 做 ？Zuòyè nǐ yīdiǎn yě méi zuò?You didn't do your homework at all?

Right and Wrong

• 今天 一点 热 。Jīntiān yīdiǎn rè.
• 今天 有点 热 。Jīntiān yǒudiǎn rè.It's a little hot today.

• 我 一点 饿 。Wǒ yīdiǎn è.
• 我 有点 饿 。Wǒ yǒudiǎn è.I'm a little hungry.

Example Dialog

• A: 这 件 衣服 有点 贵 啊 。Zhè jiàn yīfu yǒudiǎn guì a.This piece of clothing is a bit expensive.
• B:是 贵 了 一点 ，但是 很 好看 ，我 很 喜欢 。Shì guì le yīdiǎn, dànshì hěn hǎokàn, wǒ hěn xǐhuan.It's a bit expensive, but it looks really good and I like it.
• A: 这 件 衣服 能 不 能 便宜 一点 ？ Zhè jiàn yīfu néng bù néng piányi yīdiǎn?Could we get this a little cheaper?
• C: 不 好意思 ，不能 还价 ，一点 也 不 能 便宜 。Bù hǎoyìsi, bù néng huánjià, yīdiǎn yě bù néng piányi.I'm sorry, no haggling. It can't be a little bit cheaper. Not even a bit.

See also

• Expressing "a little too" with "you dian"
• Expressing "not at all" with "yidianr ye bu"
• Expressing "a bit too"

Sources and further reading

Books

• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 602) [ →buy]
• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 633) [ →buy]
• 对外汉语教学语法释疑201例 (pp. 172) [ →buy]
• Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (pp. 43) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (pp. 63) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy

Websites

• Chinesegrammar.info: Where to place 一点儿 (yī diǎnr) in a sentence