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稍微 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
稍微
shāowēi
a little bit
HSK 4, d, 25 strokes, rank #2515, Medium
shāowēi(shao1wei1)shao wei T1
1a little bit
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March 24, 2026
稍微shāowēi(shao1wei1)
稍微 (shāo wēi) means 'a little bit' or 'slightly.' It is commonly used to express a small degree or amount of something, often in contexts where you want to soften a statement or indicate a minor change. This phrase is often used in both spoken and written Mandarin to convey nuances of quantity or extent.
Strokes25Frequency#2515DifficultyMedium
Cultural note
The expression 稍微 reflects the Chinese cultural tendency to be modest and indirect, often preferring to understate rather than overstate. This aligns with the value placed on humility in Chinese society.
Memory tip
Imagine a small wave ('微') gently lapping at the shore, indicating a slight change in the water level. The character '稍' suggests something that is just a bit or a little more than the previous state. Think of the pronunciation 'shao' sounding like 'show,' as in showing just a bit of something.
Meanings of 稍微
shāowēi(shao1wei1)
1a little bit
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 稍微
稍微Simplified
25Strokes
—Radical
副词fùcíadverb (adv.)Part of Speech
#2515Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2
Podcast: 稍微
Podcast: 稍微
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AI study notes for 稍微
Quick Contrast
稍稍 (shāoshāo) vs 稍微 (shāowēi): use 稍微 for slight changes or amounts in a more formal context, while 稍稍 is more casual and often used in spoken language.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 稍微 with just 稍 (shāo), which means 'a little' but is less specific. 稍微 is typically used in more formal contexts, while you can use it in casual conversation too. Common collocations include 稍微有点 (a little bit of) and 稍微改变 (a slight change).
HSK Study Tips
At HSK Level 4, students should focus on using 稍微 to modify verbs and adjectives. Practice constructing sentences that compare degrees of actions or qualities, such as 稍微慢一点 (a little bit slower) or 稍微大一些 (a little bigger), to enhance your fluency.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 稍微 with more general terms like 有点 (yǒu diǎn), which means 'a bit' but lacks the subtlety. For example, saying '他稍微饿了' is correct, while '他有点饿了' is also correct but implies a stronger feeling of hunger.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 稍微
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稍微 (shāo wēi) means 'a little bit' or 'slightly.' It is commonly used to express a small degree or amount of something, often in contexts where you want to soften a statement or indicate a minor change. This phrase is often used in both spoken and written Mandarin to convey nuances of quantity or extent.
When to use 稍微
Be careful not to confuse 稍微 with just 稍 (shāo), which means 'a little' but is less specific. 稍微 is typically used in more formal contexts, while you can use it in casual conversation too. Common collocations include 稍微有点 (a little bit of) and 稍微改变 (a slight change).
稍微 or something close to it
稍稍 (shāoshāo) vs 稍微 (shāowēi): use 稍微 for slight changes or amounts in a more formal context, while 稍稍 is more casual and often used in spoken language.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 稍微 with more general terms like 有点 (yǒu diǎn), which means 'a bit' but lacks the subtlety. For example, saying '他稍微饿了' is correct, while '他有点饿了' is also correct but implies a stronger feeling of hunger.
Write 稍微
稍
微
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Grammar patterns of 稍微
稍微 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
