少少

A Little Bit

Level 1Sounds Like siu2 siu2

少少 (siu2 siu2) means 'a little bit' or 'slightly' in Cantonese. It can describe a small quantity of something, make polite requests, or describe a mild feeling when paired with 有 (jau5).

How It Works

少少 (Jyutping: siu2 siu2) is formed by reduplicating the character 少 (few/little). Reduplication softens the tone, making your speech sound polite, gentle, and natural.

1. Modifying Nouns (Small Quantity)
When placed before a noun (or classifier + noun), 少少 expresses a modest amount. It is commonly used as a social hedge to downplay your skills or make requests polite:

  • 我識少少廣東話。(ngo5 sik1 siu2 siu2 gwong2 dung1 waa2.) = I speak a little Cantonese.
  • 我想食少少嘢。(ngo5 soeng2 sik1 siu2 siu2 je5.) = I want to eat a little bit of food.

2. Degree Modifier with 有 (Adjectives & Feeling Verbs)
To say you are 'a little bit' tired, hungry, or scared, pair 少少 with the verb 有 (jau5, 'to have') as 有少少. This structure modifies both adjectives and psychological state or feeling verbs:

  • 我有少少攰。(ngo5 jau5 siu2 siu2 gui6.) = I am a little bit tired.
  • 呢件衫有少少貴。(nei1 gin6 saam1 jau5 siu2 siu2 gwai3.) = This shirt is a bit expensive.
  • 我有少少驚。(ngo5 jau5 siu2 siu2 geng1.) = I am a little bit scared.

3. Post-Adjectival / Post-Verbal Complement (Slight Comparison)
Placing 少少 directly after an adjective or verb indicates a slight adjustment or comparison ('a little bit more / slightly'):

  • 行快少少啦。(haang4 faai3 siu2 siu2 laa1.) = Walk a little bit faster, please.
  • 遲少少到。(ci4 siu2 siu2 dou3.) = Arrive a little bit late.

4. Standalone Conversational Response
When asked about your skills or feelings, a modest standalone response is 少少啦 (siu2 siu2 laa1, 'just a little bit!').

Examples (4)

  1. 我識少少廣東話。

    I speak a little Cantonese.

    Word by Word: I know little-little Cantonese.

    Here, 少少 modifies the noun phrase 廣東話 to modestly express speaking a small amount.

  2. 我有少少擔心佢。

    I am a little bit worried about him.

    Word by Word: I have little-little worry him.

    Before psychological or stative adjectives, 有少少 is used together to mean 'a little bit'.

  3. 你可唔可以講慢少少呀？

    Could you speak a little bit slower, please?

    Word by Word: You can-not-can speak slow little-little particle?

    Placing 少少 after the adjective 慢 (slow) creates a comparative nuance ('a bit slower') and softens the request.

  4. 麻煩你放少少糖。

    Please add a little bit of sugar.

    Word by Word: Trouble you put little-little sugar.

    Here 少少 sits between the verb 放 (put) and the noun 糖 (sugar) to indicate a small physical quantity.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting 有 (jau5) before an adjective when saying 'a bit [adjective]'

    我少少肚餓。
    我有少少肚餓。

    In Cantonese, modifying a predicative adjective or feeling before the word requires 有 (jau5) to form '有少少'. Direct English translation ('I am a little hungry') often leads learners to drop 有.

  • Placing 少少 directly before a verb to mean 'do something less'

    少少放鹽。
    放少少鹽 (add a little salt) OR 少放鹽 (add less salt).

    少少 cannot sit before a verb as an instruction. Put 少少 after the verb (放少少鹽) for 'a small quantity', or use '少 + Verb' (少放鹽) to mean 'do [action] less'.

  • Writing 小小 where 少少 is the standard spelling for 'a little'.

    Different Meaning我識小小廣東話。
    我識少少廣東話。

    小小 (siu2 siu2) is also seen for 'a little', but 少少 is the standard spelling. 小小 literally says 'small', while 少少 says 'few/little'.

How It Connects

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少少Level 1A Little Bit

Learn This First

To use '少少' (a little bit), you need to understand basic Cantonese word order, specifically how to place a quantifier before a noun or after a verb. It is also helpful to be familiar with other quantity markers like '一啲' to understand the specific nuance of 'a small, modest amount'.

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少少