► 副詞
少し [(2)すこし] meaning: little rank: 1
☆ テニスは少しやったことがあるだけだ ⇨ I’ve played tennis only a little
☆ もう少しで完成だ ⇨ Just a little more and it is complete
☆ 塩をもう少し足したほうがいい ⇨ You should add a little more salt
☆ 少し休もう ⇨ Let’s rest a little
☆ 彼の話は少し変だ ⇨ His story is a little weird
☆ 痛みは少しましになった ⇨ The pain has subsided a little
☆ 私は韓国語は少ししか話せない ⇨ I only speak a little Korean
ちょっと [(1)ちょっと] [coll] meaning: little rank: 1
☆ その話はちょっと聞いただけで良くは知らない ⇨ I heard about it just a little bit and really don’t know well
☆ もうちょっとだけ我慢しろ ⇨ Hold on just a little longer
☆ もうちょっとでお昼だ ⇨ Just a little more and it will be noon
☆ もうちょっと塩を足したほうがいいと思う ⇨ I think you should add just a little more salt
☆ もうちょっと考えてみる ⇨ I will think about it a little bit more
☆ 彼はちょっと危ない感じがする ⇨ He feels a little bit weird, creepy
☆ 彼ちょっといい男ね ⇨ He’s kind of a cool guy (☛ Positive connotations)
多少 [たしょう] meaning: little rank: 2
☆ 工事は多少遅れたが無事完了した ⇨ The construction was delayed a little but completed safely
ちょっぴり [(4)ちょっぴり] [coll] [peer] meaning: little rank: 2
☆ ちょっぴり残念だね ⇨ I’m disappointed a tiny bit
☆ もうちょっぴり塩を足したほうが良いと思う ⇨ I think you should add a tad more salt
やや [(1)やや] [liter] meaning: little rank: 2
☆ 今日は昨日よりはやや温かい ⇨ Today is a little be warmer than yesterday
うっすら [(3)うっすら] meaning: little rank: 3
☆ 空がうっすら明るくなってきた ⇨ There is a little bit of light in the sky now (☛ Usually about light and color)
ちょい [(1)ちょい] [coll] [peer] meaning: little rank: 3
☆ もうちょい右に動かして ⇨ Move it to the right just a little bit (☛ An abbreviation of ちょっと)
☆ もうちょい待って ⇨ Wait a bit longer (☛ An abbreviation of ちょっと)
☆ 仕事の後でちょい飲みした ⇨ I had a tiny drink after work (☛ An abbreviation of ちょっと)
ちょいと [ちょいと] [coll] [女] meaning: little rank: 3
☆ ちょいと、お前さん！ ⇨ Hey, wait a minute, you!
ちょいと [ちょいと] [coll] meaning: little rank: 3
☆ 仕事の帰りにちょいと飲み屋に寄った ⇨ I stopped by at a bar a little bit on my way home from work (☛ An alternative of ちょっと)
ちょこちょこ [(1)ちょこちょこ] [coll] meaning: little rank: 3
☆ 運動は毎日ちょこちょこやっている ⇨ I work out little by little everyday
ちょびっと [(3)ちょびっと] [coll] meaning: little rank: 3
☆ さっき日本酒をちょびっと飲んだ ⇨ I had just a little bit of sake a while ago
些か [いささか] meaning: little rank: 4
☆ 彼が選ばれたのにはいささか驚いた ⇨ I was a little surprised that he had been selected
ちと [(1)ちと] [coll] [peer] meaning: little rank: 4
☆ (☛ An alternative form of ちょっと)
ぽつぽつ [(1)ぽつぽつ] meaning: little rank: 4
☆ 仕事がぽつぽつ入り始めた ⇨ I started getting some work little by little. Work has been trickling in
► 成句
雀 [すずめ] [雀の涙] meaning: little rank: 4
☆ 雀の涙程度の儲けしかなかった ⇨ We only had sparrow’s tears of, very little, profits (☛ Very little and not worth much. Usually about money or reward)
► 名詞
少々 [(1)しょうしょう] meaning: little rank: 2
☆ 塩を少々加える ⇨ Add a little bit of salt
若干 [じゃっかん] [liter] meaning: little rank: 3
☆ 悪天候で飛行機に若干遅れが出ている ⇨ There are some delays on flights due to the bad weather
☆ 未だ若干分からない点がある ⇨ There are still things I am a little unsure about
微量 [びりょう] [tech] meaning: little rank: 3
☆ この物質はごく微量でも危険だ ⇨ This substance is dangerous even at a very small amount
なけなし [なけなし] meaning: little rank: 4
☆ なけなしの金をはたいて買った背広 ⇨ The suits he bought using the little money he had left (☛ Very small amount of something valuable)
► 形容詞
浅い [(2)あさい] meaning: little rank: 1
☆ 彼は未だ経験が浅い ⇨ His experience is still shallow. He is still inexperienced
薄い [(2)うすい] meaning: little rank: 1
☆ 彼女は幸せが薄い ⇨ Her happiness is thin. She is unlucky in life
☆ 彼等が勝つ可能性は薄い ⇨ There’s little chance they win
☆ 彼等は政治に対する関心が薄い ⇨ They are not very interested in politics
☆ 日本人には馴染みが薄い野菜 ⇨ A vegetable Japanese have little familiarity with
☆ 日本人は自分達で自分の国を守るという意識が薄い ⇨ Japaneses have little sense to defend their own nation themselves
► 形容動詞
僅か [(1)わずか] [liter] meaning: little rank: 1
☆ あと僅かで新年だ ⇨ Just a little more time and it will a new year
☆ その品はもう残り僅かです ⇨ There are only a few left in stock of that item
☆ 両者の違いはほんの僅かだ ⇨ The difference between the two is very little
☆ 残り時間は僅かだ ⇨ There is only a little time left
過小 [かしょう] meaning: little rank: 3
☆ 彼の功績は過小評価されていた ⇨ His achievements used to be very underrated (☛ Too little)
少額 [しょうがく] meaning: little rank: 3
☆ 公務員は少額でも贈り物をもらってはいけない ⇨ Public servants cannot receive gifts even if small in value (☛ High in monetary amount)
希薄 [きはく] meaning: little rank: 4
☆ 日本人は外敵に対する危機感が希薄だ ⇨ Japanese don’t have enough sense of danger against foreign enemies
► 接頭辞
小 [こ] meaning: little rank: 2
☆ 小憎らしい事を言うな ⇨ What a bratty thing to say (☛ Not excessive but noticeable)
☆ 小生意気なガキ ⇨ A little cocky brat (☛ Not excessive but noticeable)
一 [ひと] meaning: little rank: 2
☆ 昼間に一眠りした ⇨ I slept a little, took a quick nap, during the day