稍稍 (shāo shāo) — a little; slightly; somewhat

Definition

稍稍 is a formal/written adverb for 'slightly', less colloquial than 有点儿 and more literary than 稍微. Often reduplicated (稍稍) for a softer, gentler tone.

adverb

a littleslightlysomewhat

稍稍，。
Qǐng shāo shāo děng yí xià, wǒ mǎ shàng jiù lái.
Please wait a moment; I'll be right there.
稍稍，。
Jīn tiān shāo shāo yǒu diǎn lěng, duō chuān diǎn yī fu.
It's a little cold today; put on more clothes.
稍稍，。
Tā shāo shāo gǎi biàn le zhǔ yì, jué dìng bú qù lǚ xíng le.
He slightly changed his mind and decided not to go on the trip.

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.

稍稍 repeats 稍 a-little to mean slightly.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

禾肖稍

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

肖

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

稍 combines 禾 and 肖: 禾 is the part tied to the character's meaning, and 肖 is the part tied to its sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

禾肖稍

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

肖

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

稍 combines 禾 and 肖: 禾 is the part tied to the character's meaning, and 肖 is the part tied to its sound.

Appears in