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<p>Often heard when scolding or giving advice (like when parents
talk to children) is 少 (shǎo), which can mean "to do less of
something."</p>
<h2 id="structure">Structure</h2>
<p>Just as you can use 多 to talk about <a href=
"Doing_something_more_with_&quot;duo&quot;" title="wikilink">doing
something more</a>, you can use 少 to talk about doing something
<em>less</em>.</p>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>Subj. + 少 + Verb-Obj.</p>
</div>
<p>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
<em>not</em> to do something) is also a subtle way of sounding less
bossy and annoying.</p>
<h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>我 妈 让 我 <em>少</em> 吃 辣 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ mā ràng wǒ
<em>shǎo</em> chī là.</span><span class="trans">My mother tells me
to eat less spicy food.</span></li>
<li>你 应该 <em>少</em> 抽烟 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ yīnggāi
<em>shǎo</em> chōuyān.</span><span class="trans">You should smoke
less.</span></li>
<li><em>少</em> 喝 点 ,下午 还要 上班 呢 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em>
hē diǎn, xiàwǔ háiyào shàngbān ne.</span><span class="trans">Don't
drink so much. You're going back to work this
afternoon.</span></li>
<li><em>少</em> 吃 垃圾 食品 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> chī lājī
shípǐn.</span><span class="trans">Eat junk food less.</span></li>
<li><em>少</em> 废话 ,快 说 吧 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em>
fèihuà, kuài shuō ba.</span><span class="trans">Cut the crap. Spill
it out.</span></li>
<li>肉 太 贵 了 ,<em>少</em> 点 一些 。<span class="pinyin">Ròu tài guì le,
<em>shǎo</em> diǎn yīxiē.</span> <span class="trans">Meat is too
expensive. Don't order too much.</span></li>
<li><em>少</em> 买 点 ,吃不完 会 坏 的 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em>
mǎi diǎn, chī bù wán huì huài de.</span><span class="trans">Don't
buy too much. It will go bad if we can't finish eating
all.</span></li>
<li>你 能 不 能 让 他 <em>少</em> 放 点 盐 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ néng bu
néng ràng tā <em>shǎo</em> fàng diǎn yán?</span><span class=
"trans">Can you tell him to put salt less?</span></li>
<li><em>少</em> 看 电视 ,多 看书 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shǎo</em> kàn
diànshì, duō kànshū.</span> <span class="trans">Watch TV less. Read
more.</span></li>
<li>医生 让 我 <em>少</em> 熬夜 ,多 休息 。<span class="pinyin">Yīshēng ràng
wǒ <em>shǎo</em> áoyè, duō xiūxi.</span><span class="trans">The
doctor told me to stay up less and take more rest.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="Doing_something_more_with_&quot;duo&quot;" title=
"wikilink">Doing something more with "duo"</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further
reading</h2>
<h3 id="books">Books</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_2_(3rd_ed)" title=
"wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)</a> (pp.
39) <a href=
"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=0887276709">
→buy</a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="Category:B1_grammar_points" title=
"wikilink">Category:B1 grammar points</a></p>
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