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Mandarin Pathways
Grammar reference

一点儿 vs 有点儿

一点儿 (yìdiǎnr) vs 有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr) — 'a bit'

一点儿 goes AFTER an adjective or verb and is usually neutral or a mild request/comparison: 便宜一点儿 (a bit cheaper), 我喝一点儿水 (I'll drink a bit of water). 有点儿 goes BEFORE an adjective and almost always carries a negative or unwanted nuance: 这个有点儿贵 (this is a bit [too] expensive), 我有点儿累 (I'm a bit tired [and not happy about it]). A quick test: if it sounds like a complaint, it's 有点儿 + adjective; if it's comparing or softening a request, it's adjective/verb + 一点儿.

Examples

  • 请说慢一点儿。
    qǐng shuō màn yì diǎnr

    Please speak a bit more slowly.

  • 这件衣服有点儿小。
    zhè jiàn yī fu yǒu diǎnr xiǎo

    This piece of clothing is a bit small.

  • 今天天气有点儿冷。
    jīn tiān tiān qì yǒu diǎnr lěng

    The weather is a bit cold today.

Common mistake

✗ Wrong: 这个有点儿便宜一点儿。

✓ Right: 这个便宜一点儿。 / 这个有点儿贵。

Don't mix the two patterns in one sentence. Pick one: adjective + 一点儿 for a neutral comparison/request, or 有点儿 + adjective for a complaint-flavored description.

Practice this pattern

Fill in the missing character:

请说慢＿点儿。

Please speak a bit more slowly.