一点儿【yìdiǎnr】

一点儿 means "a little" or "a bit". After a verb and before a noun, it measures a small quantity.

一点 without 儿 is the same word. The 儿 is northern; the form without it is more usual in the south and in writing.

After an adjective it means "a bit more"

After an adjective, 一点儿 compares: 慢一点儿 is slower than now, 便宜一点儿 is cheaper than the price just quoted. In a request, this is how you ask someone to adjust what they're doing.

一点儿 or 有点儿

yǒu diǎnr有点儿 goes before the adjective and complains that something is a bit too much. 一点儿 goes after it and compares or asks.

• × 这个菜一点儿辣 → 这个菜有点儿辣
• × 我一点儿累 → 我有点儿累

Usage notes

These go beyond 一点儿 as "a little".

一 drops after a verb

In speech, 点儿 alone is common after a verb.

一点儿也不 for "not at all"

一点儿 + 也 (or 都) + a negative means "not in the least".