little
gb/lˈɪtəl/ us/lˈɪtəl/
A1
Inglés
~ 1100
Acepciones
0 acepciones
adjective
A1
property
1
small in size or amount
Not big; small in size or amount.
Patrón de uso:
a little [noun]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse 'little' with 'few'. Use 'little' with uncountable nouns and 'few' with countable nouns.
Sinónimos
small (Most common direct synonym; interchangeable in many contexts, but 'little' can sound more affectionate.)
Antónimos
big (Direct opposite in terms of size.)
Colocaciones
little boy
|little house
|little time
|little money
|little dog
Temas
daily life
|descriptions
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The little cat curled up on the sofa.
- They live in a little apartment near the park.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- This is a little bag.
- He has a little dog.
- We need a little water.
- I see a little bird.
- She has a little car.
adjective
A1
property
2
young in age
Young; not grown up.
Patrón de uso:
little [person/animal]
Sinónimos
young (More neutral and formal; 'little' often conveys affection.)
Antónimos
grown-up (Refers to someone fully matured or adult.)
Colocaciones
little girl
|little boy
|little brother
|little sister
Temas
family
|descriptions
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- My little sister just started school.
- When he was little, he loved dinosaurs.
- They adopted a little puppy from the shelter.
- I have two little cousins.
- She told the story to the little children.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I have a little brother.
- The little baby is sleeping.
- She plays with her little dog.
- He helps his little sister.
- The little boy is happy.
adverb
A2
property
3
to a small extent or degree
Only a small amount or not much.
Patrón de uso:
[verb] a little
Sinónimos
slightly ('Slightly' is more formal and less emotional.)
Antónimos
greatly (Indicates a large extent or degree.)
Colocaciones
sleep a little
|wait a little
|try a little
Temas
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- I'm feeling a little tired today.
- Could you speak a little louder?
- She smiled a little when she heard the news.
- Let's wait a little before deciding.
- He moved a little closer to the fire.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I am a little hungry.
- She walks a little every day.
- He is a little sad today.
- Please wait a little for me.
- Turn the TV down a little.
adjective
B1
quantity
4
almost no amount of something
Almost no amount of something.
Patrón de uso:
little [uncountable noun]
Error frecuente:
Learners often confuse 'a little' (some) with 'little' (almost none). The meaning changes significantly with 'a'.
Sinónimos
scarce ('Scarce' is more formal and less common in everyday speech.)
Antónimos
plenty of (Indicates more than enough of something.)
Colocaciones
little hope
|little chance
|little time
Temas
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- There is little hope of success now.
- He showed little interest in the topic.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I have little money today.
- There is little water in the glass.
- He has little interest in sports.
- We have little time for lunch.
- She has little milk in her cup.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
little
AFI
GB/lˈɪtəl/
US/lˈɪtəl/
Sílabas y acento
little (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (little)
Formas de la palabra
Adjective
- Base: little
- Comparative: littler
- Superlative: littlest
Familia de palabras
Expresiones
a little bit
1/ə lˈɪtəl bˈɪt/
fixed phrase
a small amount of something
A small amount or degree of something.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- They spent quite a little time discussing it.
- She has quite a little experience in this field.