This word means 'a little'. You use it for small amounts. You also use it for small degrees.
少し + VerbPrimary
少し + い-Adjective
少し + な-Adjective
少し + の + Noun
This word means 'a little'. You use it for small amounts. You also use it for small degrees.
日本語が少し話せます。
I can speak a little Japanese.
昨日は少し疲れました。
I was a little tired yesterday.
時間が少ししかないから、急ごう。
There's only a little time, so let's hurry.
このスープ、少し味が薄いですね。
This soup's flavor is a little weak, isn't it?
恐れ入りますが、少しお待ちいただけますでしょうか。
Excuse me, but would you mind waiting a moment?
When you use "少し" with "しか" and a negative verb, it means "only a tiny bit." It shows that there is not much of something, like having only a few drops of water in a glass.
少し is more formal than ちょっと. Both mean 'a little'. You use 少し in polite talk or writing. You use ちょっと in casual, everyday talk. The opposite of 少し is たくさん. It means 'a lot'.
Don't use this when you mean "not at all." For example, "I don't understand at all." "少しもわかりません."
Use this when you want to make what you say sound softer. It makes your words more polite. For example, say "a little difficult" instead of just "difficult."
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