# 稍微有点儿



## Konstantinos

What is the difference between 稍微 and 点儿? Can both be translated as a little or a little bit?

但是有的饮料虽然名字叫“茶”，却并不是真正的茶。 比如广东省的人愛喝的“凉茶”，它的味道稍微有点儿苦，其实是一种用中药做成的饮料。

I found this text in the standard book for HSK4. Why the following phrase: 它的味道稍微有点儿苦 has twice the "a little": its taste a little has a little bitter.

Thanks in advance.


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## ovaltine888

It is "稍微有点儿". You can use "有点儿" alone for the same meaning. But in spoken chinese, "稍微" cannot be used the same way. Usually 稍微 always comes with 有点儿 or 一点儿 or 一些.

请把音量稍微调小一点。 Please turn down the volume a bit.


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## Skatinginbc

你這問題有點兒意思 ==> I find something that interests me in your question. I am quite interested in your question. 有點兒 here does not mean literally "a bit".  It means "to a fairly significant degree that draws my attention." 

有點兒 is often used as an understatement.  For example, 
(1) 苦瓜有點兒苦 ("Bitter melon is somewhat bitter in taste"), 我不喜歡吃 ==> 有點兒 here means "to a fairly significant degree that influences my attitude"--不喜歡吃. 
(2) A person's shoulder has just been pierced through by an arrow.  When his comrade pulls the arrow out and asks him how he feels, he responds, "_Stings a bit_." (有點兒刺) 

稍微有點兒 ("slightly somewhat") indeed involves redundancy and therefore requires extra caution in use.  There are two situations where such deliberate redundancy is acceptable:
(1) To emphasize that "a bit" is literal (factual), not rhetorical (understated).
凉茶的味道稍微有點兒苦 ==> It is just a little bit bitter, so insignificant that not many people are bothered by it.
(2) To indicate an attempt of mincing one's words.   
Compare: 
你這問題有點兒笨 ==> very rude.  有點兒 would likely be interpreted as an understatement, and the sentence would generally be understood as 你這問題很笨.
你這問題稍微...有點兒...嗯...天真 ==> Super understatement!  It is still hurtful, but at least it shows that the speaker is attempting to mince the words--at least having some regard for others' feelings.


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## SuperXW

稍微 adverb, describe the degree of change is minor. *Does not contain any verb.*
稍微 + verb 
稍微 + object 

有点 "have a little bit"


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## Skatinginbc

SuperXW said:


> 有点 "have a little bit"


It may be analyzed as such (e.g., 我有點兒錢 "I have a little bit of money."), but it does not seem to apply to the context in question.  The context we are discussing is "有點兒 + adjective" (as in 有點兒不高興), not "有點兒 + noun" (as in 有點兒錢).


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## ovaltine888

稍微 is rarely used alone, always coming with 有点 or 一点。

稍微快一点
稍微有点烫
稍微多了点



SuperXW said:


> 稍微 adverb, describe the degree of change is minor. *Does not contain any verb.*
> 稍微 + verb
> 稍微 + object
> 
> 有点 "have a little bit"


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## SuperXW

Skatinginbc said:


> The context we are discussing is "有點兒 + adjective" (as in 有點兒不高興), not "有點兒 + noun" (as in 有點兒錢).


Yeah. 有(verb) + adj/noun
The point is, 有 can act as the verb, 稍微 cannot.


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## Oswinw011

You can take it as an idiom to reinforce the idea of smallness, just like "a little bit".


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## Skatinginbc

SuperXW said:


> The point is, 有 can act as the verb.


有 can act as a verb, but can it act as "_the verb_" (of the sentence 它的味道稍微有点儿苦)?
他的病稍微有點兒(= 稍有)起色 <--> 他的病並沒有(= 並無)起色. ==> "有" is the verb.
它的味道稍微有點兒苦 <--> 它的味道一點兒也不苦 ==> "有" is not the verb.


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## SuperXW

Skatinginbc said:


> 有 can act as a verb, but can it act as "_the verb_" (of the sentence 它的味道稍微有点儿苦)?
> 他的病稍微有點兒(= 稍有)起色 <--> 他的病並沒有(= 並無)起色. ==> "有" is the verb.
> 它的味道稍微有點兒苦 <--> 它的味道一點兒也不苦 ==> "有" is not the verb.


？
它的味道稍微有點兒苦 这句动词不是“有”吗？
我说的the verb意思是，无论是形容词还是名词前面都需要一个动词，那个动词。


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## Skatinginbc

"有" (verb) 的否定是 "沒(有)", 而非 "不".
他有房子 ==> "有" 是動詞, 這句的否定是 "他沒(有)房子", 而非 "他不(有)房子 ".
他有錢 (He has money) ==> "有" 是動詞, 否定是 "他沒(有)錢".
他有錢 (He is rich) ==> "有錢" (rich) 是一個形容詞, *"有" 不是這句的動詞*, 否定是 "他*不*有錢" (He is not rich).
他的病稍微有點兒起色 ==> "有" 是動詞, 否定是 "他的病並沒有起色",
它的味道稍微有點兒苦 ==> *"有" 不是這句的動詞*, 其否定是 "它的味道一點兒也*不*苦 ", 而非不自然的 "它的味道沒有一點兒苦 ".

它沒有一點兒苦味.


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## SimonTsai

SuperXW said:


> 无论是形容词还是名词前面都需要一个动词，那个动词。


I think we all know that in Mandarin, the main verb of a sentence is sometimes implied and not stated. For example, '你的好大', in which '好大' is the complement; '那個女生好香', in which '好香' is the complement.


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## SuperXW

Skatinginbc said:


> "有" (verb) 的否定是 "沒(有)", 而非 "不".
> 他有房子 ==> "有" 是動詞, 這句的否定是 "他沒(有)房子", 而非 "他不(有)房子 ".
> 他有錢 (He has money) ==> "有" 是動詞, 否定是 "他沒(有)錢".
> 他有錢 (He is rich) ==> "有錢" (rich) 是一個形容詞, *"有" 不是這句的動詞*, 否定是 "他*不*有錢" (He is not rich).
> 他的病稍微有點兒起色 ==> "有" 是動詞, 否定是 "他的病並沒有起色",
> 它的味道稍微有點兒苦 ==> *"有" 不是這句的動詞*, 其否定是 "它的味道一點兒也*不*苦 ", 而非不自然的 "它的味道沒有一點兒苦 ".
> 
> 它沒有一點兒苦味.


我说的是有可以做动词，并没有说一定要做动词。
另外，“有点苦”的"有"，到底是不是动词，无法定论吧。



SimonTsai said:


> I think we all know that in Mandarin, the main verb of a sentence is sometimes implied and not stated. For example, '你的好大', in which '好大' is the complement; '那個女生好香', in which '好香' is the complement.


汉语中省略动词，直接上形容词，是非常特殊的句式，有时候可以，有时候不行。

主语+ 程度副词：很/好/真/特别 +形容词 例：这很苦。
主语+ 程度副词：有点 +形容词 例：这有点苦。
主语+ 程度副词：稍微/些许 +形容词 例：这稍微苦。
另外，
主语+ 形容词（单字且*无上下文*） 例：这苦。 那个女生香。
主语+ 形容词（双字或以上） 例：这清香。 那个女生厉害。

我也不知道为啥。


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