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.

Different sentence positions

有点 (also 有点儿) is placed after a subject but before an adjective, and it usually expresses something that you don't want. Some examples of adjectives that can be coupled with 有点 are 生气, 伤心, 难过，讨厌, etc.

有点儿 comes before an adjective

有点儿 + Adj

Examples

• 我 觉得 这 个 人 有点儿 懒。I think this person is a little lazy.
• 在 这里 工作 有点儿 累。It is a little tiring to work here.
• 今天 有点儿 冷。Today it's a little cold.
• 水 有点儿 热。The water is a little warm.
• 上海 菜 有点儿 甜。Shanghai food is a little sweet.
• 我 有点儿 饿。I'm a little hungry.
• 老板 有点儿 生气。The boss is a little mad.
• 我 有点儿 讨厌 这 个 地方。I dislike this place a little.
• 妈妈 有点儿 难过。Mom is a little sad.
• 她 走 了，他 有点儿 伤心。She left, he is a little broken hearted.

一点儿 comes after an adjective

Adjective + 一点儿

一点 (also 一点儿) cannot be placed before an adjective. Instead, it is placed after adjectives. The adjectives that can be used are particularly limited. They often express some kind of comparisons or requests.

Examples

• 老板，便宜 一点儿 吧。Sir, a little cheaper please. (directed to the owner of a shop)
• 请 说 得 慢 一 点 儿。Please speak a little more slowly.
• 快 一 点 儿，要 迟到 了。A bit faster, we will be late.
• 我们 应该 做 得 好 一点儿。We should make it a bit better.
• 放 点 肉 吧，好吃 一点儿。Put some meat in it, it will taste a bit better.
• 这 个 地方 的 衣服 贵 一点儿，但是 好看 一点儿。This place's clothes are a bit expensive, but they are a bit prettier.
• 那 个 菜 不 辣，这 个 菜 辣 一点儿。That dish is not spicy, this dish is a little spicy.
• 这里 的 蛋糕 甜 一点儿。The cake here is a bit sweet.
• 上海 比 北京 热 一点儿。Shanghai is a bit hotter than Beijing.
• 我们 今天 学 的 语法 会难 一点儿。The grammar we studied today was a bit difficult.

一点儿 comes after an adjective with 了

Adj. + 了 + 一点儿

In this structure, the overall effect of the pattern depends on the preceding adjective. If the adjective in the structure has a negative meaning, then it is used to show the speaker’s dissatisfaction (a sort of complaint). If the adjective in the structure has a positive meaning, then it usually reflects a change.

Examples

• 这 件 衣服 贵 了 一点儿。Expresses that the speaker is not satisfied with the cost of the clothingThis clothing is too expensive.
• 我 觉得 他 矮 了 一点儿。I think he is too short.
• 房间 小 了 一点儿。The room is too small.
• 衣服 大 了 一点儿。The clothes are too big.
• 对 孩子 来说，这 个 问题难 了 一点儿。This question is a bit difficult for kids.
• 工作 以后，她 的 心情 好 了 一点儿。Expresses a change after starting to work: his mood improvedAfter starting work, his mood improved.
• 吃药 以后 ，妈妈 的 身体 好 了 一点儿 。After taking medicine, mom’s health is better.
• 对 用户 来说 ，这 种 设计 方便 了 一点儿。This design is a bit more convenient for users.
• 宝宝 今年 高 了 一点儿。The baby is taller this year.

Negative forms are different

In this structure, after 有点 (or 有点儿) and before the adjective, you can use 不 or 没, however the following adjective should have a positive connotation, like 高兴, 安全, 太好 etc. This makes the overall emotion expressed feel negative still.

Negative 有点儿

有点儿+ 不/没 + Adjective/Verb

Examples

• 我 觉得 这 个 人 有点儿 不 聪明。lit: "is a little not smart"I think this person is a little stupid.
• 老板 有点儿 不 高兴。The boss is a little unhappy.
• 我 今天 有点儿 不 舒服。Today I don't feel too good (Lit: a little not comfortable).
• 晚上 一个人 回家 有点儿 不 安全。Returning home along at night is a bit unsafe.
• 我 还是 有点儿 不 明白。lit: "a little not understand"I still don't really understand.
• 这样 做 有点儿 不 太 好 吧。Doing it this way is not very good.
• 这 个 时间 有点儿 不 方便。This time is a bit inconvenient.
• 我 有点儿 不 喜欢 这 个 地方。I kind of don't like this place.
• 他 有点儿 不想回 美国。He kind of doesn't want to return to the US.
• 我 有点儿 不 相信 他。I kind of don't trust him.

一点 (or 一点儿) cannot be linked together directly, but can be used in the 一点也不/一点都不 or 一点也没/ 一点都没 structures to mean "not at all".

Negative 一点儿

一点儿+ 也/都+ 不/没 + Adjective

Examples

• 老板，便宜 一点儿 吧。Sir, a little cheaper please. (directed to the owner of a shop)
• 这 个 老师 说话 一点儿 都 不 慢。This teacher does not speak slowly at all.
• 我们 做 得 一点儿 都 不 好。We did not do it well at all.
• 这 个 菜 一点儿 都 不 好吃。This dish is not delicious at all.
• 这 个 地方 的 衣服 一点儿 都 不 贵。This place's clothes are not expensive at all.
• 这 是 四川 菜 吗？一点儿 也 不 辣。This is Sichuan food? It is not spicy at all.
• 为什么 这 个 可乐 一点儿 也 不 甜?Why is this coke not sweet at all?
• 今天一点儿 也 不 热。Today is not hot at all.
• 我们 今天 学 的 语法 一点儿 也 不 难。The grammar that we studied today is not hard at all.
• 你 看起来 一点儿 也 不 累。You look like you are not even a bit tired.

Examples of right and wrong sentences

• 我 有点 饿。I'm a bit hungry.
• 我 一点 饿。I'm a little hungry.
• 老板 有点儿 生气。The boss is a bit angry.
• 老板 一点儿 生气。Boss is a little angry.
• 这 件 衣服 贵 了 一点儿 。This piece of clothing is a bit expensive.
• 这 件 衣服 贵 了 有点儿 。This piece of clothing expensive a little.
• 老板，便宜 一点儿 吧。Sir, how about a bit cheaper?
• 老板，便宜 有点儿 吧。Sir, how about a little cheaper?

Example dialog

• A: 这件衣服有点儿贵啊。This piece of clothing is a bit expensive.
• B: 是 贵 了 一点儿，但是 真 的 很 好看，我 好 喜欢。It's a bit expensive, but it looks really good, I like it.
• A: 服务员，这 件 衣服 能 不 能 便宜 一点？Attendant, could we get this a little cheaper?
• C: 不好意思，这 是 新 的，一点儿 也 不 能 便宜。I'm sorry, this is a new item, it can't even be a little bit cheaper.

See also

• Expressing "A bit too"
• Expressing "a little too" with "you dian"
• "Not at all"

Sources and further reading

Books

• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (“一点儿”p. 602) →buy
• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (“有点儿”p. 633) →buy
• 对外汉语教学语法释疑201例 (p.172) →buy

Websites

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