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un petit peu (a little bit)

Grammar & Usage

adverbial phrase / fixed expression

neutral

How it works

This phrase is an adverbial expression built from the indefinite article 'un', the adjective 'petit' (small), and the quantifier 'peu' (little). It functions adverbially to soften statements, modify adjectives and verbs, or serve as a quantifier when followed by the preposition 'de'. It acts as a diminutive, slightly more emphatic or polite variation of the standard 'un peu'.

Sample sentences

Je parle un petit peu français.

I speak a little bit of French.

Tu veux un petit peu de sucre dans ton café ?

Do you want a little bit of sugar in your coffee?

Je suis un petit peu fatigué ce soir.

I am a little bit tired this evening.

Quick facts

phonetic_elision:In rapid or informal speech, the 'e' in 'petit' is frequently dropped, sounding like /œ̃ pti pø/.

pragmatic_function:Often used as a pragmatic softener (mitigator) to sound less direct or demanding.

construction_with_nouns:Requires the preposition 'de' (or d') before a noun, as in 'un petit peu d'eau'.

Often used with

Mnemonic

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Example

Je parle un petit peu français.

I speak a little bit of French.

Tu veux un petit peu de sucre dans ton café ?

Do you want a little bit of sugar in your coffee?