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[B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points)

Similar to

- [Doing something more with "duo"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Doing_something_more_with_%22duo%22) (B1)

Used for

[Adding more explanation](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Adding_more_explanation)

Keywords

[少](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%B0%91)

Translations

[less](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Less)

少 (shǎo), means "to do less of something" and is often heard when scolding or giving advice (like when parents talk to children).

Contents -------- [hide]([# "wikilink")\]

- [1 Structure](#Structure "wikilink") - [2 Examples](#Examples "wikilink") - [3 Colloquial Sayings](#Colloquial_Sayings "wikilink") - [4 See also](#See_also "wikilink") - [5 Sources and further reading](#Sources_and_further_reading "wikilink") - [5.1 Books](#Books "wikilink")

Structure --------------------------------------------------------- Just as you can use 多 to talk about [doing something more](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Doing_something_more_with_%22duo%22), you can use 少 to talk about doing something *less*.

少 + Verb

Note that in English, we don't use the word "less" very 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 -------------------------------------------------------

- 请 *少* 放点盐。Qǐng *shǎo* fàng diǎn yán.Less salt, please. - *少* 吃垃圾食品。*Shǎo* chī lājī shípǐn.Eat less junk food. - *少* 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 it all. - 你能不能 *少* 抽点烟？Nǐ néng bu néng *shǎo* chōu diǎn yān?Can you smoke less? - 快期中考试了，*少* 玩点游戏吧。Kuài qīzhōng kǎoshì le, *shǎo* wán diǎn yóuxì ba.You're going to take the mid-term exam. Stop playing so much video games. - *少* 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. - *少* 看点电视，多看书。*Shǎo* kàn diǎn diànshì, duō kànshū. Watch TV less. Read more. - *少* 吃点肉，多吃点蔬菜。*Shǎo* chī diǎn ròu, duō chī diǎn shūcài.Eat less meat and eat more vegetables.

Colloquial Sayings ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

- *少* 来。*Shǎo* lái.Stop it! - *少* 说废话。*Shǎo* shuō fèihuà.Cut the crap. - *少* 管闲事。*Shǎo* guǎn xiánshì.Stay out of other people's business.

See also ------------------------------------------------------- - [Doing something more with "duo"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Doing_something_more_with_%22duo%22) Sources and further reading --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### Books - [Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_2_(3rd_ed)) (pp. 39) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2femBuy)

[Category](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Special:Categories): - [B1 grammar points](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Category:B1_grammar_points)

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