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Level Everyday Chinese · HSK 2

有点儿, 一点儿, 这么, 这样 and 多么: Degree and Exclamations

English uses "a bit" for both "a bit expensive" and "a bit cheaper". Chinese uses two different words in two different places, and mixing them up is one of the most common A2 mistakes. This guide sorts them out, along with the words for "so" and "like this".

有点儿 vs 一点儿

有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr) goes before an adjective and usually signals something unwelcome: 有点儿贵 (a bit too expensive), 有点儿累 (a bit tired). 一点儿 (yìdiǎnr) goes after an adjective and means "a bit more so", often when comparing or asking: 便宜一点儿 (a bit cheaper).

一点儿也 / 都 + negative means "not at all": 一点儿也不贵.

PositionExample
有点儿before the adjective这个有点儿贵。 This is a bit (too) expensive.
一点儿after the adjective便宜一点儿吧。 Make it a bit cheaper.
一点儿也不before the adjective一点儿也不贵。 Not expensive at all.

  • 今天有点儿冷。

    Jīntiān yǒudiǎnr lěng.

    It's a bit cold today.

  • 请说得慢一点儿。

    Qǐng shuō de màn yìdiǎnr.

    Please speak a bit more slowly.

  • 这个菜一点儿也不辣。

    Zhège cài yìdiǎnr yě bú là.

    This dish isn't spicy at all.

这么 / 那么 vs 这样 / 那样

这么 (zhème) and 那么 (nàme) + adjective mean "so, this / that": 这么贵 (so expensive). 这样 and 那样 mean "like this, like that": before a verb they describe how (这样做, do it like this), and with 的 they describe a kind (这样的人, this kind of person).

  • 这里的东西这么贵！

    Zhèlǐ de dōngxi zhème guì!

    Things here are so expensive!

  • 你应该这样做。

    Nǐ yīnggāi zhèyàng zuò.

    You should do it like this.

  • 我不喜欢那样的人。

    Wǒ bù xǐhuan nàyàng de rén.

    I don't like people like that.

Exclaiming: 多么 and 啊

多(么) + adjective + 啊 means "how ...!". 啊 (a) on its own warms up a sentence: 好啊 (sure!), 真好看啊 (it's so pretty!). After some sounds 啊 changes to 呀 or 哪 in speech and writing.

  • 今天的天气多好啊！

    Jīntiān de tiānqì duō hǎo a!

    What lovely weather today!

  • 好啊，我们走吧。

    Hǎo a, wǒmen zǒu ba.

    Sure, let's go.

  • 这件衣服真好看啊！

    Zhè jiàn yīfu zhēn hǎokàn a!

    This top is so nice!

Common mistakes

  • ✗这个一点儿贵。

    ✓这个有点儿贵。

    Zhège yǒudiǎnr guì.

    Before an adjective, "a bit" is 有点儿.

  • ✗请有点儿便宜。

    ✓请便宜一点儿。

    Qǐng piányi yìdiǎnr.

    Asking for "a bit more" of a quality puts 一点儿 after the adjective.

  • ✗这样贵！

    ✓这么贵！

    Zhème guì!

    Before an adjective, "so" is 这么. 这样 means "like this" and goes before verbs or 的.

Questions learners ask

Can 有点儿 be positive?

Mostly no. 有点儿 suggests "more than I'd like": 有点儿忙, 有点儿难. For a mild positive, use 挺…的 (tǐng…de, quite): 挺好的.

Why does 那么 also mean "well then"?

At the start of a sentence 那么 (or just 那) means "in that case": 那么，我们明天见. It's the same word, pointing back at what was just said.

Practice this in lessons

The Everyday Chinese lessons teach this step by step, with exercises and review built in.

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