有点儿 A Little Bit in Chinese

周末zhōumò，我wǒ和hé姐姐jiějie去qù商店shāngdiàn买mǎi衣服yīfu。

On the weekend, my sister and I go to the store to buy clothes.

我wǒ看见kànjiàn一件yí jiàn红色hóngsè的de衣服yīfu，可是kěshì我wǒ觉得juéde有点儿yǒudiǎnr贵guì。

I see a red piece of clothing, but I think it's a bit too expensive.

我wǒ问wèn服务员fúwùyuán：“可以kěyǐ便宜piányi一点儿yìdiǎnr吗ma？”

I ask the clerk: "Can it be a little cheaper?"

服务员fúwùyuán说shuō：“可以kěyǐ，便宜piányi五wǔ块kuài。”

The clerk says: "Sure, five kuai cheaper."

买mǎi完wán衣服yīfu，我们wǒmen走zǒu了le很多hěnduō路lù，我wǒ觉得juéde有点儿yǒudiǎnr累lèi。

After buying the clothes, we walk a lot, and I feel a bit tired.

姐姐jiějie说shuō：“我们wǒmen打车dǎchē回家huíjiā吧ba，快kuài一点儿yìdiǎnr。”

My sister says: "Let's take a taxi home, a little faster."

车chē来lái了le，姐姐jiějie先xiān坐zuò好hǎo，我wǒ把bǎ衣服yīfu给gěi她tā。

The car arrives, my sister settles in first, and I hand her the clothes.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

有点儿yǒudiǎnra little (before a negative feeling)

一点儿yìdiǎnra little (neutral amount)

衣服yīfuclothes

服务员fúwùyuánclerk; waiter

打车dǎchēto take a taxi

累lèitired

Grammar note 语法点

有点儿 + adj（a little too... — usually a complaint）

有点儿 goes before an adjective and adds a negative, complaining tone — something is a bit more than you'd like.

可是我觉得有点儿贵。— But I think it's a bit too expensive.

adj + 一点儿（asking for a small change — neutral）

adj + 一点儿 asks for a small change and doesn't carry a complaint — the opposite feel from 有点儿.

可以便宜一点儿吗？— Can it be a little cheaper?

有点儿 ≠ 一点儿

有点儿 sits before the adjective to complain (有点儿贵、有点儿累); 一点儿 sits after the adjective to ask for or describe a small change, and isn't negative (便宜一点儿、快一点儿).

我们打车回家吧，快一点儿。— Let's take a taxi home, a little faster.

Check yourself 小测验

1. What does 有点儿贵 suggest about the speaker's feeling?

2. Why do the two decide to take a taxi home?

3. In “快一点儿”, what is “一点儿” doing?

After this reading

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

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有点儿YǒudiǎnrA Little Bit in Chinese

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

More HSK 2 reading practice