Doing something less with "shao"
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
少 (shǎo), means "to do less of something" and is often heard when scolding or giving advice (like when parents talk to children).
Contents
Structure
Just as you can use 多 to talk about doing something more, you can use 少 to talk about doing something less.
少 + Verb
Note that in English we don't use the word "less" very much. For example, rather than saying "drink less water," we might say "don't drink so much water." In Chinese, though, using 少 is quite natural and common. Avoiding the negative command (telling someone not to do something) is also a subtle way of sounding less bossy and annoying.
Examples
- 请 少 放 点 盐 。Less salt, please.
- 少 吃 垃圾 食品 。Eat less junk food.
- 少 买 点 ，吃 不 完 会 坏 的 。Don't buy too much. It will go bad if we can't finish eating it all.
- 你 能 不 能 少 抽 点 烟 ？Can you smoke less?
- 快 期中 考试 了 ，少 玩 点 游戏 吧 。You're going to take the mid-term exam. Stop playing so much video games.
- 少 喝 点 ，明天 还要 上班 呢 。Don't drink so much. You need go to work tomorrow.
- 少 看 点 电视 ，多 看书 。 Watch TV less. Read more.
- 少 吃 点 肉 ，多 吃 点 蔬菜 。Eat less meat and eat more vegetables.
Colloquial Sayings
- 少 来 。Stop it!
- 少 说 废话 。Cut the crap.
- 少 管 闲事 。Stay out of other people's business.
