Comparing "shao" and "xiao"
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Both 少 and 小 can translated to mean “little”. In this sense 少 means “little” as small in quantity or number, while 小 means “little” as small in size or magnitude. Yet, each has distinct uses as 少 can also mean “seldom”, “few”, or “less”, and 小 can also mean “young”, “minor”, or “petty”.
| 少 (shǎo, shào) | 小 (xiǎo) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | small (quantity or number), seldom, few, less | small (size or magnitude), young, minor, petty |
| Part of Speech | adjective | adjective |
| Formality | flexible | flexible |
Contents
- 1 To say to “understand” or “comprehend” a person or the way something is both 了解 and 理解 can be used.
- 2 To describe a situation in which after much thought and deliberation you grasp an understanding of a principle, a reason, material, a person’s deep inner thoughts or feelings use 理解
- 3 To say “to know about”, “to know of”, “to think about” a person or concept use 了解.
- 4 To describe a situation which uses “to get to know” or “to find out about” “to become aware of how something will work out“ (think “ahh… got you!”) about a condition or a situation use 了解.
To say to “understand” or “comprehend” a person or the way something is both 了解 and 理解 can be used.
Common Phrases
In the following examples both 了解 and 理解 can be used.
- 很～你
- 不～你
- 不太～
- 互相～
To describe a situation in which after much thought and deliberation you grasp an understanding of a principle, a reason, material, a person’s deep inner thoughts or feelings use 理解
Common Phrases
- 不能理解
- 理解不了
- 理解力
- 理解错了
- 表示理解
To say “to know about”, “to know of”, “to think about” a person or concept use 了解.
Common Phrases
To describe a situation which uses “to get to know” or “to find out about” “to become aware of how something will work out“ (think “ahh… got you!”) about a condition or a situation use 了解.
Common Phrases
- 了解情况
- 了解一下
- 了解了解
