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[What links
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[](http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1286538933)
[](# "wikilink")
Doing something less with "shao"
================================
[](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/ASG9B0M8)
-
Level
[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)
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")
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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