少すこし vs. 少々しょうしょう: Do You Know Which is Used As Casual?

少すこし and 少々しょうしょう are used as the same meaning, however there are the subtle differences. Could you explain how native speakers use depending on what situations are? Let me introduce how you correctly use them today!

少すこし

A little bit (Casual)

少すこし means “a little bit”. Although both 少すこし and 少々しょうしょう is used as the meaning, 少すこし is more casual than 少々しょうしょう. Furthermore, when you want to emphasize 少すこし, you would be able to put “だけ” after 少すこし, so that would be 少すこしだけ. Additionally, ちょっと is also used as the same meaning as both 少すこし and 少々しょうしょう, however, ちょっと sounds much casual than 少すこし. Thus, you might want to use ちょっと to your only friends. 少すこし is not that casual, so you would be able to use it in daily conversations as casual and polite.

Example

少すこし日本語にほんごが話はなせるよ。 (I can speak English a little bit.) (我会说一点日语。) (일본어를 조금 할 줄 알아요.) (Tớ có thể nói một chút tiếng Nhật thôi.)

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少すこしだけ嬉うれしいよ。 (I’m a little flattered.) (我有一点开心。) (조금 기뻐요.) (Tớ cũng thấy hơi vui đó.)

前髪まえがみを少すこしだけ切きってください。 (Please cut my bangs just a little bit.) (请稍微剪一下刘海。) (앞머리를 조금만 잘라 주세요.) (Cắt cho tôi tóc mái ngắn đi một chút xíu thôi.)

少すこしでも食たべたら？ (Why don’t you eat a little bit?) (再多吃一点怎样？) (조금이라도 먹는 게 어때?) (Hay là bạn ăn một chút đi?)

ちょっとずつ涼すずしくなってきてるね。 (It’s getting cooler little by little, isn’t it?) (渐渐的变凉快了。) (조금씩 선선해지기 시작했네.) (Trời dần dần trở nên mát mẻ ha.)

少々しょうしょう

A little bit (Formal)

Again, 少々しょうしょう and 少すこし are used as the same meaning, however, it is used in business situations as formal. Apparently, native speakers prefer 少々しょうしょう to 少すこし in cooking such as “塩しお少々しょうしょう(a pinch of salt)”, “砂糖さとう少々しょうしょう(a pinch of sugar)”, etc. And in business situations, “少々しょうしょうお待まちください” and “少々しょうしょうお待まちいただけませんか？” is quite often used in which means “I’ll be with you in a moment.” and “Would you wait a moment, please?”. Thus ちょっと is used only for your friends, 少すこし is used for all of the situations as both casual and polite. Lastly, 少々しょうしょう is used in business situations as formal.

Example

たつや
サラダに塩しおを少々しょうしょう加くわえます。 (I added a pinch of salt to the salad.) (在沙拉中加点盐。) (샐러드에 소금을 조금 뿌립니다. ) (Nêm thêm chút muối vào món salad. )

ゆか
少々しょうしょうお待まちください。 (I’ll be with you in a moment.) (请稍等。) (조금만 기다려 주세요.) (Vui lòng chờ một chút.)

たつや
ステーキに少々しょうしょうコショウをふりかけます。 (I sprinkle a pinch of pepper on a stake.) (在牛排上撒上一些胡椒粉。) (스테이크에 후추를 조금 뿌립니다. ) (Rắc chút tiêu vào món bò bít tết.)

ゆか
あのスーパー、開店かいてんして1年いちねん少々しょうしょうでつぶれちゃったね。 (That supermarket closed down a little over a year after opening.) (那家超市开了一年多一点就停业了。) (그 슈퍼, 개점하고 1년 정도 만에 망해버렸네. ) (Cái siêu thị đó mở ra mới được hơn một năm đã phá sản mất tiêu.)

たつや
うちの親父おやじが最近さいきん少々しょうしょう太ふとりぎみなんだ。 (My dad has been a bit on the heavy side lately.) (我父亲最近有点过胖。) (우리 아버지, 요즘 조금씩 살이 찌고 있어. ) (Bố tôi gần đầy có vẻ hơi mập mập rồi đó.)