<blockquote>
<p><em>因为父母不用花钱给很多小孩，他们可以花多一点钱给少的孩子</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The ideal sentence:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>因为家中孩子不多，父母可以花多一点钱在各个孩子身上 (Because there are few children in the family, parents can spend more money on each child)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If I must minimally edit the original sentence:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>因为父母不用花钱在很多小孩身上，他们可以花多一点钱在各个孩子身上 (Because parents don’t have to spend money on many children, they can spend more money on each child)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>花钱<strong>给</strong>小孩 (spend money <strong>to</strong> the children) is incorrect. It is 花钱<strong>在</strong>小孩<strong>身上</strong> or <strong>在</strong>小孩<strong>身上</strong>花钱 (spend money <strong>on</strong> the children)</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>&quot;spend more money on <strong>fewer</strong> children&quot;</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>花較多的钱在<strong>少些</strong>孩子身上</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-01T05:55:48.100Z
why is the original sentence bad? Was it too ambiguous?
Redwood
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-01T06:02:05.333Z
@Wise sequoia The first part of the sentence already indicated that not many children are in the family (e.g. less than 4). stating fewer children in the second part felt repetitive, we know each and every child add up together will  still be a small number (e.g. no more than 3)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-01T06:35:15.093Z
why do we say 在孩子身上 instead 在孩子?
Redwood
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-01T07:31:16.610Z
[在(~)上] = [on (~)] ; [在(孩子)上] is not specific enough. [在(孩子身)上] make no doubt that it is 'on the children' not 'on buying children' or  'on making child'. '在孩子' is even worse, it missed half of the preposition set [在(~)上]
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-01T05:45:46.980Z
2021-01-01T05:51:59.457Z
2021-01-01T05:51:59.457Z
Tang Ho
<p>perhaps &quot;为比较少的孩子花钱花多一点的&quot;?</p>
<p>为 is also a preposition/coverb meaning &quot;for&quot; or &quot;because of&quot; while 为了 sort of means &quot;for the purpose of&quot;</p>
<p>though I'd never seen it before now, I found 比较 while searching and seems to be an analog of how we might use the adverb &quot;comparatively&quot; in English, resulting in 比较少 conveying the meaning &quot;comparatively few&quot;</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-01T05:31:33.233Z
2021-01-01T05:48:09.320Z
2021-01-01T05:48:09.320Z
小奥利奥
<p>There was an old woman who lived in a shoe</p>
<p>There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.<br />
She had so many children she didn’t know what to do.<br />
She gave them some broth without any bread.<br />
She whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.</p>
<p>Instead of trying to spend some money on all her children, she should spend more money on a chosen few of her children.</p>
<p>与其只能在每个孩子身上花同样少的钱，倒不如在几个特定的孩子身上花多一些钱。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-02T12:36:03.703Z
2021-01-02T12:36:03.703Z
Pedroski
<p>'因为父母不用花钱给很多小孩，他们可以花多一点钱给少的孩子。&quot;</p>
<p>The sentence does not sound correct. I want to say &quot;spend more money on fewer children,&quot; but I don't know how to do it?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-01T05:31:44.167Z
do I use the character 几 instead? I thought it meant few but it also means several?
Redwood
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-01T05:35:48.110Z
几 and 些 can be used to express "few" as a quantity, but what you want to express is "fewer", the adjective
小奥利奥
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-01T05:37:49.323Z
how do i say fewer in mardarin?
Redwood
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-01T05:43:46.373Z
少的 is the only way i can think of without having to use 比 or other comparatives that would double the length of your sentences
小奥利奥
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-01T05:45:36.887Z
perhaps 比较少? I'll adjust my answer
小奥利奥
<usage>
Did I use 的 correctly for 少的孩子？
# Did I use 的 correctly for 少的孩子？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-01-01)

'因为父母不用花钱给很多小孩，他们可以花多一点钱给少的孩子。"

The sentence does not sound correct. I want to say "spend more money on fewer children," but I don't know how to do it?

**Tags:** usage

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: do I use the character 几 instead? I thought it meant few but it also means several?  
> **username_1**: 几 and 些 can be used to express "few" as a quantity, but what you want to express is "fewer", the adjective  
> **username_0**: how do i say fewer in mardarin?  
> **username_1**: 少的 is the only way i can think of without having to use 比 or other comparatives that would double the length of your sentences  
> **username_1**: perhaps 比较少? I'll adjust my answer  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-01-01. Score: 2

> *因为父母不用花钱给很多小孩，他们可以花多一点钱给少的孩子*

The ideal sentence:

> 因为家中孩子不多，父母可以花多一点钱在各个孩子身上 (Because there are few children in the family, parents can spend more money on each child)

If I must minimally edit the original sentence:

> 因为父母不用花钱在很多小孩身上，他们可以花多一点钱在各个孩子身上 (Because parents don’t have to spend money on many children, they can spend more money on each child)

花钱**给**小孩 (spend money **to** the children) is incorrect. It is 花钱**在**小孩**身上** or **在**小孩**身上**花钱 (spend money **on** the children)

> *"spend more money on **fewer** children"*

花較多的钱在**少些**孩子身上

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: why is the original sentence bad? Was it too ambiguous?  
> **username_2**: @Wise sequoia The first part of the sentence already indicated that not many children are in the family (e.g. less than 4). stating fewer children in the second part felt repetitive, we know each and every child add up together will  still be a small number (e.g. no more than 3)  
> **username_0**: why do we say 在孩子身上 instead 在孩子?  
> **username_2**: [在(~)上] = [on (~)] ; [在(孩子)上] is not specific enough. [在(孩子身)上] make no doubt that it is 'on the children' not 'on buying children' or  'on making child'. '在孩子' is even worse, it missed half of the preposition set [在(~)上]  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2021-01-01. Score: 1

perhaps "为比较少的孩子花钱花多一点的"?

为 is also a preposition/coverb meaning "for" or "because of" while 为了 sort of means "for the purpose of"

though I'd never seen it before now, I found 比较 while searching and seems to be an analog of how we might use the adverb "comparatively" in English, resulting in 比较少 conveying the meaning "comparatively few"


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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-01-02. Score: 0

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.  
She had so many children she didn’t know what to do.  
She gave them some broth without any bread.  
She whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.

Instead of trying to spend some money on all her children, she should spend more money on a chosen few of her children.

与其只能在每个孩子身上花同样少的钱，倒不如在几个特定的孩子身上花多一些钱。


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