Difference between revisions of "Doing something less with "shao""

 
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Often heard when scolding or giving advice (like when parents talk to children) is 少 (shǎo), which can mean "to do less of something."
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The word 少 (shǎo) can mean "few," but when placed before a verb, it takes on the meaning of "less" as in "to do less (of something)." It is often heard when scolding or giving advice (like when parents talk to children). What's not intuitive to learners is that the word should come ''before the verb.''
  
 
== Structure ==
 
== Structure ==
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Note that in English we don't use the word "less" so 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.
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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 in Chinese.
  
 
== Examples ==
 
== Examples ==
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*请 <em>少</em> 放 点 盐 。<span class="pinyin">Qǐng <em>shǎo</em> fàng diǎn yán.</span><span class="trans">Less salt, please.</span>
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*请 <em>少</em> 放 点 盐 。<span class="pinyin">Qǐng <em>shǎo</em> fàng diǎn yán.</span><span class="trans">Use less salt, please.</span>
*<em>少</em> 吃 垃圾 食品 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> chī lājī shípǐn.</span><span class="trans">Eat junk food less.</span>
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*<em>少</em> 吃 垃圾 食品 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> chī lājī shípǐn.</span><span class="trans">Eat less junk food.</span>
*<em>少</em> 买 点 ,吃不完 会 坏 的 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> mǎi diǎn, chī bu wán huì huài de.</span><span class="trans">Don't buy too much. It will go bad if we can't finish eating all.</span>
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*<em>少</em> 买 点 ,吃 不 完 会 坏 的 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> mǎi diǎn, chī bu wán huì huài de.</span><span class="trans">Don't buy too much. It will go bad if we can't finish eating it all.</span>
*你 能不能 <em>少</em> 抽 点 烟 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ néng bu néng <em>shǎo</em> chōu diǎn yān?</span><span class="trans">Can you smoke less?</span>
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*你 能 不 能 <em>少</em> 抽 点 烟 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ néng bu néng <em>shǎo</em> chōu diǎn yān?</span><span class="trans">Can you smoke less?</span>
*快 期中 考试 了 ,<em>少</em> 玩 点 游戏 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Kuài qīzhōng kǎoshì le, <em>shǎo</em> wán diǎn yóuxì ba.</span><span class="trans">You're going to take the mid-term exam. Stop playing so much video games.</span>
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*快 期中 考试 了 ,<em>少</em> 玩 点 游戏 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Kuài qīzhōng kǎoshì le, <em>shǎo</em> wán diǎn yóuxì ba.</span><span class="trans">The mid-term exams are coming up. Go easy on the video games.</span>
 
*<em>少</em> 喝 点 ,明天 还要 上班 呢 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> hē diǎn, míngtiān háiyào shàngbān ne.</span><span class="trans">Don't drink so much. You need go to work tomorrow.</span>
 
*<em>少</em> 喝 点 ,明天 还要 上班 呢 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> hē diǎn, míngtiān háiyào shàngbān ne.</span><span class="trans">Don't drink so much. You need go to work tomorrow.</span>
*<em>少</em> 看 点 电视 ,多 看书 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> kàn diǎn diànshì, duō kànshū.</span> <span class="trans">Watch TV less. Read more.</span>
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*<em>少</em> 看 点 电视 ,多 看书 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> kàn diǎn diànshì, duō kànshū.</span> <span class="trans">Watch less TV. Read more books.</span>
*<em>少</em> 吃 点 肉 ,多 吃 点 蔬菜 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> chī diǎn ròu, duō chī diǎn shūcài.</span><span class="trans">Eat less meat and more vegetables.</span>
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*<em>少</em> 吃 点 肉 ,多 吃 点 蔬菜 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> chī diǎn ròu, duō chī diǎn shūcài.</span><span class="trans">Eat less meat and eat more vegetables.</span>
  
 
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== Colloquial Sayings ==
 
== Colloquial Sayings ==
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These set phrases are worth special note, because although they follow the grammar pattern, they might not make sense to you without a little extra explanation, just like the meaning of "come on" might not make sense at first to someone learning English.
  
 
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*<em>少</em> 来 <span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> lái.</span><span class="trans">Don't give me that. (Stop it!)</span>
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*<em>少</em> 来 !<span class="expl">Lit. "come less"</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> lái!</span><span class="trans">Come on!</span>
*<em>少</em> 说 废话 <span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> shuō fèihuà.</span><span class="trans">Cut the crap.</span>
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*<em>少</em> 说 废话 !<span class="expl">Lit. "speak less nonsense talk"</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> shuō fèihuà!</span><span class="trans">Quit your babbling!</span>
*<em>少</em> 管 闲事 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> guǎn xián shì.</span><span class="trans">Stay out of other people's business.</span>
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*<em>少</em> 管 闲事 。<span class="expl">Lit. "get involved less in others' affairs"</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> guǎn xiánshì.</span><span class="trans">Stay out of other people's business.</span>
  
 
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Latest revision as of 07:31, 10 May 2021

Chinese-grammar-wiki-shao.jpg

The word 少 (shǎo) can mean "few," but when placed before a verb, it takes on the meaning of "less" as in "to do less (of something)." It is often heard when scolding or giving advice (like when parents talk to children). What's not intuitive to learners is that the word 少 should come before the verb.

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 in Chinese.

Examples

  • 放 点 盐 。Qǐng shǎo fàng diǎn yán.Use less salt, please.
  • 吃 垃圾 食品 。Shǎo chī lājī shípǐn.Eat less junk food.
  • 买 点 ,吃 不 完 会 坏 的 。Shǎo mǎi diǎn, chī bu wán huì huài de.Don't buy too much. It will go bad if we can't finish eating it all.
  • 你 能 不 能 抽 点 烟 ?Nǐ néng bu néng shǎo chōu diǎn yān?Can you smoke less?
  • 快 期中 考试 了 , 玩 点 游戏 吧 。Kuài qīzhōng kǎoshì le, shǎo wán diǎn yóuxì ba.The mid-term exams are coming up. Go easy on the video games.
  • 喝 点 ,明天 还要 上班 呢 。Shǎo hē diǎn, míngtiān háiyào shàngbān ne.Don't drink so much. You need go to work tomorrow.
  • 看 点 电视 ,多 看书 。Shǎo kàn diǎn diànshì, duō kànshū. Watch less TV. Read more books.
  • 吃 点 肉 ,多 吃 点 蔬菜 。Shǎo chī diǎn ròu, duō chī diǎn shūcài.Eat less meat and eat more vegetables.

Colloquial Sayings

These set phrases are worth special note, because although they follow the grammar pattern, they might not make sense to you without a little extra explanation, just like the meaning of "come on" might not make sense at first to someone learning English.

  • 来 !Lit. "come less"Shǎo lái!Come on!
  • 说 废话 !Lit. "speak less nonsense talk"Shǎo shuō fèihuà!Quit your babbling!
  • 管 闲事 。Lit. "get involved less in others' affairs"Shǎo guǎn xiánshì.Stay out of other people's business.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK4