do1 siu2多少
Jyutpingdo1 siu2
Yaledō síu
Definition
More or less, somewhat, or to some degree.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Functions as an adverb to express that a situation or feeling exists to a certain degree, even if that degree is not precisely defined. It carries a sense of inevitability or concession, implying that the speaker acknowledges a fact that cannot be ignored. It is frequently paired with 都有 to emphasize that the state is present regardless of the intensity.
Examples
Hearing this news, I felt somewhat unhappy.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid confusing this with the Mandarin usage of 多少 which often functions as a question word for quantity. In Cantonese, 幾多 is the standard way to ask how much or how many, while 多少 is strictly reserved for the adverbial sense of somewhat or more or less.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
