ChineseGrammarWiki/ancien/Chinese-Grammar-Wiki/Programmes/B1.old/Grammar-wiki-B1-84.txt.html

<p>Often heard when scolding or giving advice (like when parents talk to children) is 少 (shǎo), which can mean &quot;to do less of something.&quot;</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 &quot;less&quot; so much. For example, rather than saying &quot;drink less water,&quot; we might say &quot;don't drink so much water.&quot; 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 &quot;duo&quot;</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>