Meaning
一点儿 means 'a little' or 'a bit' and is used to indicate a small quantity or degree of something. It can modify nouns to mean 'a little bit of' or modify adjectives/verbs to mean 'a little more' or 'slightly.' The 儿 (r) is a diminutive suffix common in northern Mandarin dialects, especially Beijing dialect.
Usage
Native speakers use 一点儿 very frequently in everyday conversation. When modifying adjectives in comparisons, it typically comes after the adjective (e.g., 大一点儿 'a bit bigger'). When expressing 'a little bit of something,' it comes before the noun (e.g., 一点儿水 'a little water'). The 儿 suffix is often dropped in southern dialects, becoming just 一点.
Examples
- 01我想喝一点儿水。.I want to drink a little water.
- 02这件衣服大一点儿就好了。.This piece of clothing would be good if it were a bit bigger.
Characters
Common collocations
- 一点儿也不not at all
- 再...一点儿...a bit more...
- 吃一点儿eat a little
- 等一点儿wait a bit
Antonyms
Origin
点 originally meant 'dot' or 'point,' which extended metaphorically to mean 'a small amount.' The addition of 儿 is a Beijing dialect feature that softens and makes the expression more colloquial.