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

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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 junk food less.</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>
 
*<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>
 
*<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>
*<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>
 
 
*<em>少</em> 说 废话 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> shuō fèihuà.</span><span class="trans">Cut the crap.</span>
 
*<em>少</em> 说 废话 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> shuō fèihuà.</span><span class="trans">Cut the crap.</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>
 
*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 要 让 你 儿子 <em>少</em> 玩 点 游戏 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ yào ràng nǐ érzi <em>shǎo</em> wán diǎn yóuxì.</span><span class="trans">You should tell your son to play video games less.</span>
 
*你 要 让 你 儿子 <em>少</em> 玩 点 游戏 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ yào ràng nǐ érzi <em>shǎo</em> wán diǎn yóuxì.</span><span class="trans">You should tell your son to play video games less.</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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Revision as of 09:40, 22 December 2017

Chinese-grammar-wiki-shao.jpg

Often heard when scolding or giving advice (like when parents talk to children) is 少 (shǎo), which can mean "to do less of something."

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 Phrase]

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.

Examples

  • 放 点 盐 。Qǐng shǎo fàng diǎn yán.Less salt, please.
  • 我 妈 让 我 吃 辣 。Wǒ mā ràng wǒ shǎo chī là.My mother tells me to eat less spicy food.
  • 吃 垃圾 食品 。Shǎo chī lājī shípǐn.Eat junk food less.
  • 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 all.
  • 说 废话 。Shǎo shuō fèihuà.Cut the crap.
  • 你 能不能 抽 点 烟 ?Nǐ néng bu néng shǎo chōu diǎn yān?Can you smoke less?
  • 管 我 的 事 。Shǎo guǎn wǒ de shì.Stay out of my business.
  • 你 要 让 你 儿子 玩 点 游戏 。Nǐ yào ràng nǐ érzi shǎo wán diǎn yóuxì.You should tell your son to play video games less.
  • 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 TV less. Read more.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK4