A little bit: 稍微 + Adj/Verb + 一点儿
副词 / adverbs
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
稍微 + Adj / Verb + 一点儿 / 一些 / 一下
稍微 (shāowēi) means "slightly, a bit". It almost never stands alone: after the adjective or verb, add 一点儿, 一些 or 一下.
- 稍微 + Adj + 一点儿: 稍微贵一点儿 (a bit more expensive).
- 稍微 + V + 一下: 请稍微等一下 (please wait a moment).
It's a polite way to soften a request or a criticism.
Examples
你应该稍微少吃一点儿甜的。
Nǐ yīnggāi shāowēi shǎo chī yìdiǎnr tián de.You should eat slightly less sweet stuff.
请稍微等一下，医生马上来。
Qǐng shāowēi děng yíxià, yīshēng mǎshàng lái.Please wait a moment, the doctor is coming right away.
今天我觉得稍微好一些了。
Jīntiān wǒ juéde shāowēi hǎo yìxiē le.Today I feel a little better.
Common mistakes
✗ 这件衣服稍微贵。 → add 一点儿. ✓ 这件衣服稍微贵一点儿。
✗ 稍微很累 → no other degree adverb.