little
gb/lˈɪtəl/ us/lˈɪtəl/
A1
Kiingereza
~ 1100
Maana
maana 0
adjective
A1
property
1
small in size or amount
Not big; small in size or amount.
Muundo wa matumizi:
a little [noun]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes confuse 'little' with 'few'. Use 'little' with uncountable nouns and 'few' with countable nouns.
Visawe
small (Most common direct synonym; interchangeable in many contexts, but 'little' can sound more affectionate.)
Vinyume
big (Direct opposite in terms of size.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
little boy
|little house
|little time
|little money
|little dog
Mada
daily life
|descriptions
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Muundo wa matumizi:
little [person/animal]
Visawe
young (More neutral and formal; 'little' often conveys affection.)
Vinyume
grown-up (Refers to someone fully matured or adult.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
little girl
|little boy
|little brother
|little sister
Mada
family
|descriptions
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Muundo wa matumizi:
[verb] a little
Visawe
slightly ('Slightly' is more formal and less emotional.)
Vinyume
greatly (Indicates a large extent or degree.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
sleep a little
|wait a little
|try a little
Mada
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Muundo wa matumizi:
little [uncountable noun]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners often confuse 'a little' (some) with 'little' (almost none). The meaning changes significantly with 'a'.
Visawe
scarce ('Scarce' is more formal and less common in everyday speech.)
Vinyume
plenty of (Indicates more than enough of something.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
little hope
|little chance
|little time
Mada
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Sarufi
Umbo la kamusi
little
IPA
GB/lˈɪtəl/
US/lˈɪtəl/
Silabi na mkazo
little (silabi 1)
Stress on 1st syllable (little)
Maumbo ya neno
Adjective
- Base: little
- Comparative: littler
- Superlative: littlest
Familia ya neno
Semi
a little bit
1/ə lˈɪtəl bˈɪt/
fixed phrase
a small amount of something
A small amount or degree of something.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- They spent quite a little time discussing it.
- She has quite a little experience in this field.