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
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.
Subj. + 少 + Verb + Obj.
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
- 废话 少 说！Speak less nonsense!
- 你 应该 少 抽 烟！You should smoke less!
- 学 中文 的 学生 需要 少 说 英文。Students learning Chinese need to speak English less.
