多多少少 (duō duō shǎo shǎo) — more or less; to some extent; in some degree

Definition

An adverbial phrase meaning 'more or less / to some extent' — softens a statement to indicate something is partly but not entirely true. Often pairs with 都 or 都…一些 for a moderate, hedged claim.

bound form

more or lessto some extentin some degree

Examples

多多少少。
Zhè jiàn shì duō duō shǎo shǎo dōu huì yǐng xiǎng wǒ men de jì huà.
This matter will more or less affect our plan.
多多少少。
Tā duō duō shǎo shǎo néng tīng dǒng nǐ de huà.
He can understand what you say to some extent.
多多少少。
Měi gè rén duō duō shǎo shǎo dōu yǒu yì xiē yí hàn.
Everyone has some regrets to some degree.

Origin

Reduplicated word

构词法gòucífǎ

重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

多多more

多duōmore多duōmore

少少less

少shǎoless少shǎoless

多 (more) and 少 (less) are doubled to mean to some degree.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

多 originally showed two pieces of meat placed together; the repeated meat shape gives the sense of many.

Open 多 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

多 originally showed two pieces of meat placed together; the repeated meat shape gives the sense of many.

Open 多 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 少 is drawn as four dots, perhaps three grains of sand, to indicate a few or a little.

Open 少 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 少 is drawn as four dots, perhaps three grains of sand, to indicate a few or a little.

Open 少 →

Appears in

Quantity & Amount

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