一点儿 (yīdiǎnr) — a little; a bit

一点儿 (yīdiǎnr)

一点儿 means "a little" or "a bit." It softens statements about degree or quantity and is one of the most common hedging expressions in Mandarin.

Meanings

1. [adverb] A little; slightly (modifying an adjective or verb to reduce intensity).
2. [noun phrase] A small amount of (before a noun to indicate a small quantity).

Example Sentences

我会说一点儿汉语。 Wǒ huì shuō yīdiǎnr Hànyǔ. I can speak a little Chinese.

这个菜有一点儿辣。 Zhège cài yǒu yīdiǎnr là. This dish is a little spicy.

你能快一点儿吗？ Nǐ néng kuài yīdiǎnr ma? Can you be a little faster?

我想喝一点儿水。 Wǒ xiǎng hē yīdiǎnr shuǐ. I would like to drink a little water.

Usage Notes

一点儿 follows the adjective when modifying it for comparative softening: 快一点儿 (a bit faster). It precedes the noun when expressing a small quantity: 一点儿水 (a little water). The shorter form 点儿 is common in casual speech. Note that 有点儿 (yǒu diǎnr) is slightly different — it carries a mild negative connotation and precedes adjectives to mean "somewhat" (e.g., 有点儿贵, a bit pricey — implying mild complaint).

Collocations or Common Phrases

Memory Hook

一点儿 literally means "one dot" — just a tiny dot of something, barely a smidge.