多多少少

duōduōshǎoshǎo

adverb #26,689

Meanings

1 to some extent
2 more or less
3 somewhat

Characters

Reduplication of the 多…少… pair to express 'somewhere between more and less', i.e., to some indeterminate degree.

Examples

HSK 4

你多多少少要承担一些责任。

Nǐ duōduōshǎoshǎo yào chéngdān yīxiē zérèn.

You are more or less responsible for some of this.

HSK 4

他多多少少有些失望。

Tā duōduōshǎoshǎo yǒuxiē shīwàng.

He is somewhat disappointed.

HSK 6

这件事多多少少影响了他的情绪。

Zhè jiàn shì duōduōshǎoshǎo yǐngxiǎng le tā de qíngxù.

This matter affected his mood to some extent.

Tips

usage

多多少少 is a reduplicated form of the pair 多 (many/much) and 少 (few/little). It softens a statement, implying something is true but to an uncertain or modest degree. Similar in function to 多少 but more emphatic.

grammar

Often used before adjectives or verbs to indicate a partial, hedged degree: 多多少少有些 (somewhat), 多多少少受到影响 (affected to some extent).

Stroke Order

多 duō

少 shǎo