little
gb/lˈɪtəl/ us/lˈɪtəl/
A1
English
~ 1100
kicsi, kis, fiatal, egy kicsit, kicsit, kevés
A1
1
Usage pattern:
a little [noun]
The little cat curled up on the sofa.
A kis macska összegömbölyödött a kanapén.
They live in a little apartment near the park.
Egy kis lakásban laknak a park közelében.
I have very little time to finish this project.
She poured a little milk into the cup.
We stayed in a little village by the sea.
Learner examples
This is a little bag.
Ez egy kis táska.
He has a little dog.
Van egy kis kutyája.
We need a little water.
I see a little bird.
She has a little car.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'little' with 'few'. Use 'little' with uncountable nouns and 'few' with countable nouns.
Meaning
small in size or amount
Collocations
little boy
|little house
|little time
|little money
|little dog
Synonyms
small (Most common direct synonym; interchangeable in many contexts, but 'little' can sound more affectionate.)
Antonyms
big (Direct opposite in terms of size.)
Themes
daily life
|descriptions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not big; small in size or amount.
Small in physical size, quantity, or extent.
A1
2
Usage pattern:
little [person/animal]
My little sister just started school.
A kishúgom most kezdte el az iskolát.
When he was little, he loved dinosaurs.
Amikor kicsi volt, imádta a dinoszauruszokat.
They adopted a little puppy from the shelter.
I have two little cousins.
She told the story to the little children.
Learner examples
I have a little brother.
Van egy kisöcsém.
The little baby is sleeping.
A kisbaba alszik.
She plays with her little dog.
He helps his little sister.
The little boy is happy.
Meaning
young in age
Collocations
little girl
|little boy
|little brother
|little sister
Synonyms
young (More neutral and formal; 'little' often conveys affection.)
Antonyms
grown-up (Refers to someone fully matured or adult.)
Themes
family
|descriptions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Young; not grown up.
Young; referring to someone at an early stage of life.
A2
3
egy kicsit
A1
kicsit
A1
Usage pattern:
[verb] a little
I'm feeling a little tired today.
Ma egy kicsit fáradtnak érzem magam.
Could you speak a little louder?
Tudnál egy kicsit hangosabban beszélni?
She smiled a little when she heard the news.
Let's wait a little before deciding.
He moved a little closer to the fire.
Learner examples
I am a little hungry.
Egy kicsit éhes vagyok.
She walks a little every day.
Mindennap sétál egy kicsit.
He is a little sad today.
Please wait a little for me.
Turn the TV down a little.
Meaning
to a small extent or degree
Collocations
sleep a little
|wait a little
|try a little
Synonyms
slightly ('Slightly' is more formal and less emotional.)
Antonyms
greatly (Indicates a large extent or degree.)
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Only a small amount or not much.
To a small degree; not much.
B1
4
kevés
A1
Usage pattern:
little [uncountable noun]
There is little hope of success now.
Most már kevés remény van a sikerre.
He showed little interest in the topic.
Kevés érdeklődést mutatott a téma iránt.
We have little time left before the train leaves.
Little progress was made during the meeting.
The team had little energy after the long match.
Learner examples
I have little money today.
Ma kevés pénzem van.
There is little water in the glass.
Kevés víz van a pohárban.
He has little interest in sports.
We have little time for lunch.
She has little milk in her cup.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse 'a little' (some) with 'little' (almost none). The meaning changes significantly with 'a'.
Meaning
almost no amount of something
Collocations
little hope
|little chance
|little time
Synonyms
scarce ('Scarce' is more formal and less common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
plenty of (Indicates more than enough of something.)
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Almost no amount of something.
Used before uncountable nouns to mean almost none or not much of something.
Grammar
Dictionary form
little
IPA
GB/lˈɪtəl/
US/lˈɪtəl/
Syllables & stress
little (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (little)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: little
- Comparative: littler
- Superlative: littlest
Word family
Expressions
a little bit
1/ə lˈɪtəl bˈɪt/
fixed phrase
a small amount of something
A small amount or degree of something.
Examples
- Could you give me a little bit of sugar?
- I'm feeling a little bit tired after the long walk.
every little helps
1/ˈɛvɹi lˈɪtəl hˈɛlps/
idiom
any small help is useful
Even a small help or amount can be useful.
Examples
- You don’t have to donate much—every little helps.
- We saved coins all year; every little helps.
make little of something
1/mˈeɪk lˈɪtəl əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
idiom
treat as unimportant
To say or act like something is not important.
Examples
- He made little of the risks involved.
- They made little of her achievements.
quite a little
1/kwˈaɪt ə lˈɪtəl/
fixed phrase
a surprisingly large amount of something small in nature
A lot, even though it sounds small.
Examples
- They spent quite a little time discussing it.
- She has quite a little experience in this field.