beginnerA1 · TOCFL a1comparisongrammar
多 少
Pattern
多 / 少 + verb + amount
Key words
Core idea
多 and 少 can come before an amount to show that the amount is extra or short compared with what was expected.
This is different from using 多 to mean “many” or 少 to mean “few.” Here the words measure the difference from a plan, count, or expectation.
Word order note
In this beginner use, 多 or 少 often comes before the verb, and the amount follows the verb phrase.
Examples
我多买了一杯咖啡。
Wǒ duō mǎi le yì bēi kāfēi.
I bought one extra cup of coffee.
他少带了两本书。
Tā shǎo dài le liǎng běn shū.
He brought two books too few.
你多写了一个字。
Nǐ duō xiě le yí ge zì.
You wrote one extra character.
Common mistakes
Avoid
我买了多一杯咖啡。
Use
我多买了一杯咖啡。
When 多 means extra by an amount, it usually comes before the verb.