Expressing "a little too" with "you dian"
At times you may want to politely diss something using the phrase "a little too." For example, if you are getting lunch with a friend who wants to be seated outside, you might say, "It is a little too hot" to suggest you sit inside. In a case like this, you can use 有一点 (yǒuyīdiǎn) or 有点 (yǒudiǎn). The two are interchangeable.
To say that something is "a little too..." or "a bit too...," 有一点 (yǒuyīdiǎn) is often used. Its northern Chinese version is 有一点儿 (yǒuyīdiǎnr).
Subj. + 有一点(儿) + Adj.
In spoken Chinese, the 一 (yī) in 有一点 (yǒuyīdiǎn) is often dropped, leaving 有点 (yǒudiǎn). In northern China, that's usually pronounced 有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr).
Subj. + 有点(儿) + Adj.
- 我 有点 饿 。I'm a little hungry.
- 这个 菜 有点 辣 。This dish is a little too spicy.
- 昨天 有一点 热 。Yesterday it was a little too hot.
- 上海 的 冬天 有一点 冷。 Winter in Shanghai is a bit too cold.
- 我弟弟 有点 胖 。My younger brother is a bit fat.
- 今天 有点 累 。Today I am a little bit tired.
- 这个 月 公司 有点 忙 。This month the company is a little bit busy.
- 这 个 地方 有点 吵 ，我们 走吧 。This place is a little too noisy. Let's go.
- 爸爸 回来 有点 晚 ，妈妈 有点 不高兴 。Dad came back home a bit too late, so mom was a little unhappy.
- 老师 今天 有点 不 舒服 ，所以 没 来上课 。Today, the teacher felt a little unwell, so she didn't come to class.
Note that for the speaker, the adjective after 有点 (yǒudiǎn) expresses an unpleasant or undesirable meaning, so you won't hear things like 有点高兴 (yǒudiǎn gāoxìng), 有点舒服 (yǒudiǎn shūfu), 有点好玩儿 (yǒudiǎn hǎowánr), etc., because "happy," "comfortable," and "fun" are all adjectives with positive connotations.
Sources and further reading
- HSK Standard Course 2 (pp. 36) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 183-4) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy