多 duō / 少 shǎo + Verb: Doing More or Less

To say “do something more” or “do something less,” put 多 duō or 少 shǎo in front of the verb. English puts “more” and “less” after the verb, but Chinese puts them before it. You’ll hear this all the time in advice, requests and plans: “drink more water,” “eat less sugar.”

一 Doing More: 多 + Verb

多 + Verb (+ 一点) + Object

多 duō goes right before the verb. You’ll often see 一點 yìdiǎn一点 yìdiǎn after the verb too, meaning “a bit more.”

你nǐ生病shēngbìng了le，应该yīnggāi多duō喝hē一点yìdiǎn水shuǐ

You’re sick, so you should drink more water.

我wǒ想xiǎng多duō学xué一点yìdiǎn中文Zhōngwén

I want to learn more Chinese.

你nǐ需要xūyào多duō吃chī蔬菜shūcài，少shǎo吃chī肉ròu

You need to eat more vegetables and less meat.

如果rúguǒ多duō睡觉shuìjiào，我wǒ就jiù会huì长高zhǎnggāo吗ma？

If I sleep more, will I get taller?

爸爸bàba不bù应该yīnggāi多duō给gěi孩子háizi钱qián

Dad shouldn’t give the kids extra money.

二 Doing Less: 少 + Verb

少 + Verb (+ 一点) + Object

少 shǎo works the same way: put it right before the verb.

你nǐ少shǎo喝hē一点yìdiǎn咖啡kāfēi

Drink less coffee.

少shǎo点diǎn一点yìdiǎn菜cài，我们wǒmen不bú太tài饿è

Let’s order fewer dishes. We’re not that hungry.

点 diǎn here means “to order (food).”

我wǒ是不是shì bú shì应该yīnggāi少shǎo抱怨bàoyuàn我的wǒde人生rénshēng？

Should I complain less about my life?

最近zuìjìn太tài累lèi了le，我wǒ想xiǎng少shǎo做zuò一点yìdiǎn运动yùndòng

I’ve been so tired lately, I want to exercise less.

如果rúguǒ我wǒ少shǎo买mǎi一点yìdiǎn东西dōngxi，就jiù不会bú huì没钱méi qián了le

If I buy less stuff, I won’t run out of money.

Advice, not facts多 / 少 + verb is mostly used for advice, requests, wishes and plans. To simply describe that someone does something a lot, Chinese usually uses a different pattern, like 他吃得很多 (“He eats a lot”).

三 Common Mistakes

❌ 你nǐ應該yīnggāi应该yīnggāi喝hē水shuǐ多duō

✅ 你nǐ應該yīnggāi应该yīnggāi多duō喝hē水shuǐ

English says “drink water more,” but in Chinese 多 duō always goes before the verb.

❌ 你nǐ少shǎo一點yìdiǎn一点yìdiǎn喝hē咖啡kāfēi

✅ 你nǐ少shǎo喝hē一點yìdiǎn一点yìdiǎn咖啡kāfēi

一點 yìdiǎn一点 yìdiǎn comes after the verb, not between 少 shǎo and the verb.

❌ 你nǐ要yào很hěn多duō吃chī蔬菜shūcài

✅ 你nǐ要yào多duō吃chī蔬菜shūcài

很多 hěn duō means “a lot of” before a noun, but before a verb it’s just 多 duō.

四 Practice

Tap the words below in the right order to build the sentence, then check your answer. If it’s wrong, you can try again as many times as you like, or hit “Show answer” if you get stuck. Careful: some tiles are traps and are not needed!

Question 1 of 10

“You should get more rest.”