Difference between revisions of "Comparing "shao" and "xiao""

 
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<div class="liju dapei">
 
<div class="liju dapei">
* 小孩儿
+
* 小孩儿 <span class="pinyin">xiǎoháir</span><span class="trans">little child</span>
* 小问题
+
* 小问题 <span class="pinyin">xiǎo wèntí</span><span class="trans">small problem</span>
* 小事
+
* 小狗 <span class="pinyin">xiǎogǒu</span><span class="trans">puppy, small dog (could be either)</span>
* 小狗
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
*  
+
 
 +
* 我 有 一 只 <em>小狗</em>。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ yǒu yī zhǐ <em>xiǎogǒu</em>.</span><span class="trans">I have a puppy.</span>
 +
* 她 有 一 个 <em>小孩儿</em>。 <span class="pinyin">Tā yǒu yī gè <em>xiǎoháir</em>.</span><span class="trans">She has a small child.</span>
 +
* 这 是 一 个 <em>小 问题</em>。 <span class="pinyin">Zhè shì yī gè <em>xiǎo wèntí</em>.</span><span class="trans">This is a small problem.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju dapei">
 
<div class="liju dapei">
* 声音很小
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* 声音 很 <em>小</em><span class="pinyin">shēngyīn hěn <em> xiǎo </em></span><span class="trans">low in volume (lit, "very little sound")</span>
* 雨很小
+
* 雨 很 <em>小</em><span class="pinyin">yǔ hěn <em> xiǎo </em></span><span class="trans">light rain (lit, "very little rain")</span>
 +
* 风 很 <em>小</em><span class="pinyin">fēng hěn <em>xiǎo</em></span><span class="trans">light wind (lit, "very little wind")</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
Don't use 少 for these meanings.
+
Don't use 少 for these meanings. You'll learn more of these later, but as an elementary learner, just being aware of the issue is enough.
  
 
=== Example Sentences ===
 
=== Example Sentences ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 雨很小,不用带伞。
+
* <strong>雨 很</strong> <em>小</em>,不用 带 伞。 <span class="pinyin"><strong>Yǔ hěn</strong> <em>xiǎo</em>, bùyòng dài sǎn.</span><span class="trans">The rain is very light. You don't need an umbrella.</span>
* 声音太小了,我听不到。
+
* <strong>声音 太</strong> <em>小</em> <strong>了</strong>,我 听 不到。 <span class="pinyin"><strong>Shēngyīn tài</strong> <em>xiǎo</em> <strong>le</strong>, wǒ tīng budào.</span><span class="trans">The sound is so faint that I can't hear it.</span>
 +
* 今天 的 <strong>风 很</strong> <em>小</em>。 <span class="pinyin">Jīntiān de <strong>fēng hěn</strong> <em>xiǎo</em>.</span><span class="trans">The wind was very light today.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
== To express "young" as an adjective use 小 ==
 
== To express "young" as an adjective use 小 ==
  
This one you need to watch out for, because as a speaker of English, you're going to want to translate "young" as 年轻 (niánqīng), but in fact 年轻 (niánqīng) only works as the opposite of *old*. So if you just want to say you're slightly younger than someone else (maybe by a year), you need to use 小. If you use 年轻, you're implying that the other person is *old*.
+
This one you need to watch out for, because as a speaker of English, you're going to want to translate "young" as 年轻 (niánqīng), but in fact 年轻 (niánqīng) only works as the opposite of ''old''. So if you just want to say you're slightly younger than someone else (maybe by a year), you need to use 小. If you use 年轻, you're implying that the other person is ''old''.
  
 
=== Example Sentences ===
 
=== Example Sentences ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 我比你小两岁。
+
* 我 比 你 <em>小</em> 两 岁。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ bǐ nǐ <em>xiǎo</em> liǎng suì.</span><span class="trans">I'm two years younger than you.</span>
* 她喜欢比她大的男孩。
+
* 她 喜欢 比 她 <em>大</em>的 男孩。 <span class="pinyin">Tā xǐhuan bǐ tā <em>dà</em> de nánhái.</span><span class="trans">She likes boys who are older than her.</span>
* 你妹妹还很小吧?
+
* 你 妹妹 还 很 <em>小</em> 吧? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ mèimei hái hěn <em>xiǎo</em> ba?</span><span class="trans">Your sister is still very young, right?</span>
 +
* 谁 是 最 <em>小</em> 的 孩子? <span class="pinyin">Shéi shì zuì <em>xiǎo</em> de háizi?</span><span class="trans">Who is the youngest child?</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
=== 少 only means "young" when used in certain nouns ===
 
=== 少 only means "young" when used in certain nouns ===
  
Meanwhile, 少 can also be used to mean "young," but *only in set words* which you'll learn later, such as 少年 (shàonián) or 少女 (shàonǚ). In these words, 少 is pronounced fourth tone ("shào") rather than the usual third tone ("shǎo").
+
Meanwhile, 少 can also be used to mean "young," but ''only in set words'' which you'll learn later, such as 少年 (shàonián) or 少女 (shàonǚ). In these words, 少 is pronounced fourth tone ("shào") rather than the usual third tone ("shǎo").
  
 
== To say "few" or "small" in quantity or number, use 少 ==
 
== To say "few" or "small" in quantity or number, use 少 ==
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<div class="liju dapei">
 
<div class="liju dapei">
* 朋友很少
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* 朋友 很 <em>少</em><span class="pinyin">Péngyou hěn <em> shǎo </em></span><span class="trans">few friends</span>
* 钱很少
+
* 钱 很 <em>少</em><span class="pinyin">Qián hěn <em> shǎo </em></span><span class="trans">very little money</span>
* 人很少
+
* 人 很 <em>少</em><span class="pinyin">Rén hěn <em> shǎo </em></span><span class="trans">few people</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 我的钱太少了。
+
* 我的 钱 <strong>太</strong> <em>少</em> <strong>了</strong>。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ de qián <strong>tài</strong> <em> shǎo </em> <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">I have too little money.</span>
* 今天来的人很少。
+
* 今天 来 的 人 <strong>很</strong> <em>少</em>。 <span class="pinyin">Jīntiān lái de rén <strong>hěn</strong> <em>shǎo</em>.</span><span class="trans">Very few people came today.</span>
* 我的朋友很少。
+
* 我的 朋友 <strong>很</strong> <em>少</em>。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ de péngyou <strong>hěn</strong> <em>shǎo</em>.</span><span class="trans">I have very few friends.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 最近我很少出去。
+
* 最近 我 <em>很 少</em> 出去。 <span class="pinyin">Zuìjìn wǒ hěn <em>hěn shǎo</em> chūqù.</span><span class="trans">I rarely go out these days.</span>
* 他很少吃肉。
+
* 老板 <em>很 少</em> 生气。 <span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn <em>hěn shǎo</em> shēngqì.</span><span class="trans">The boss rarely gets angry.</span>
* 老板很少生气。
+
* 他 <em>很 少</em> 吃 肉。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>hěn shǎo</em> chī ròu.</span><span class="trans">He seldom eats meat.</span>
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
少 also has a usage that comes before verbs when means (to do something) "less." This is an [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Doing_something_less_with_%22shao%22 intermediate (B1) grammar point] which we won't go into here.
 +
 
 +
<div class="liju">
 +
* 你 <em>少</em> 吃 肉。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>shǎo</em> chī ròu.</span><span class="trans">Eat less meat.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
== Sources and further reading ==
 
== Sources and further reading ==
 +
 +
=== AllSet Learning Wikis ===
 +
 +
* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Doing_something_less_with_%22shao%22 Doing something less with "shao"] (Chinese Grammar Wiki)
  
 
=== Websites ===
 
=== Websites ===

Latest revision as of 08:19, 19 April 2022

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”.











A2HSK2ASV4567
少 (shǎo) 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

To express "small" (size) or "young" use 小

These are fairly obvious, because most of them work as direct translations from Chinese to English.

Common Phrases

  • 小孩儿 xiǎoháirlittle child
  • 小问题 xiǎo wèntísmall problem
  • 小狗 xiǎogǒupuppy, small dog (could be either)

Example Sentences

  • 我 有 一 只 小狗Wǒ yǒu yī zhǐ xiǎogǒu.I have a puppy.
  • 她 有 一 个 小孩儿Tā yǒu yī gè xiǎoháir.She has a small child.
  • 这 是 一 个 小 问题Zhè shì yī gè xiǎo wèntí.This is a small problem.

To express "small" in magnitude learn set phrases

These are a bit tricky because they don't translate directly into English using the word "small" or little, but you nevertheless have to learn them. We won't cover all of these phrases here; we'll just share some of the more common ones.

Common Phrases

  • 声音 很 shēngyīn hěn xiǎo low in volume (lit, "very little sound")
  • 雨 很 yǔ hěn xiǎo light rain (lit, "very little rain")
  • 风 很 fēng hěn xiǎolight wind (lit, "very little wind")

Don't use 少 for these meanings. You'll learn more of these later, but as an elementary learner, just being aware of the issue is enough.

Example Sentences

  • 雨 很 ,不用 带 伞。 Yǔ hěn xiǎo, bùyòng dài sǎn.The rain is very light. You don't need an umbrella.
  • 声音 太 ,我 听 不到。 Shēngyīn tài xiǎo le, wǒ tīng budào.The sound is so faint that I can't hear it.
  • 今天 的 风 很 Jīntiān de fēng hěn xiǎo.The wind was very light today.

To express "young" as an adjective use 小

This one you need to watch out for, because as a speaker of English, you're going to want to translate "young" as 年轻 (niánqīng), but in fact 年轻 (niánqīng) only works as the opposite of old. So if you just want to say you're slightly younger than someone else (maybe by a year), you need to use 小. If you use 年轻, you're implying that the other person is old.

Example Sentences

  • 我 比 你 两 岁。 Wǒ bǐ nǐ xiǎo liǎng suì.I'm two years younger than you.
  • 她 喜欢 比 她 的 男孩。 Tā xǐhuan bǐ tā de nánhái.She likes boys who are older than her.
  • 你 妹妹 还 很 吧? Nǐ mèimei hái hěn xiǎo ba?Your sister is still very young, right?
  • 谁 是 最 的 孩子? Shéi shì zuì xiǎo de háizi?Who is the youngest child?

少 only means "young" when used in certain nouns

Meanwhile, 少 can also be used to mean "young," but only in set words which you'll learn later, such as 少年 (shàonián) or 少女 (shàonǚ). In these words, 少 is pronounced fourth tone ("shào") rather than the usual third tone ("shǎo").

To say "few" or "small" in quantity or number, use 少

Common Phrases

  • 朋友 很 Péngyou hěn shǎo few friends
  • 钱 很 Qián hěn shǎo very little money
  • 人 很 Rén hěn shǎo few people

Obviously, you can't use 小 for these meanings.

Example Sentences

  • 我的 钱 Wǒ de qián tài shǎo le.I have too little money.
  • 今天 来 的 人 Jīntiān lái de rén hěn shǎo.Very few people came today.
  • 我的 朋友 Wǒ de péngyou hěn shǎo.I have very few friends.

To say "seldom" or "rarely", use 少

Pattern

(很)少 + Verb Phrase

Example Sentences

  • 最近 我 很 少 出去。 Zuìjìn wǒ hěn hěn shǎo chūqù.I rarely go out these days.
  • 老板 很 少 生气。 Lǎobǎn hěn shǎo shēngqì.The boss rarely gets angry.
  • 很 少 吃 肉。 hěn shǎo chī ròu.He seldom eats meat.

少 also has a usage that comes before verbs when means (to do something) "less." This is an intermediate (B1) grammar point which we won't go into here.

  • 吃 肉。 shǎo chī ròu.Eat less meat.

Sources and further reading

AllSet Learning Wikis

Websites