When you want to say someone is speaking or doing something quietly, use 小声地. Think of it as the opposite of speaking loudly. It's often used when you don't want to disturb others or when you're sharing a secret.
For example, if you're in a library, you'd want to speak 小声地. Or if you're whispering a secret to a friend, you'd also speak 小声地. This adverb helps you describe the manner of an action, specifically that it's done in a soft or low way.
When you want to say someone is speaking or doing something softly, use 小声地. It's an adverb, so it comes before the verb.
For example, if you want to tell someone to speak quietly, you can say: “请你小声地说。” (Please speak softly.)
You can also use it to describe actions, like walking softly: “他小声地走开了。” (He walked away quietly.)
It emphasizes a gentle or hushed manner.
§ What Does 小声地 Mean?
The Chinese word “小声地” (xiǎo shēng de) is an adverb. It means “softly” or “in a low voice.” Think of it as the opposite of speaking loudly. When you use “小声地,” you are describing the manner in which someone speaks or makes a sound – very quietly. It’s a super common word you’ll hear and use a lot in everyday conversations.
- DEFINITION
- Softly; in a low voice.
You use “小声地” to emphasize that the sound being produced is not loud. It can be because someone doesn’t want to disturb others, they are sharing a secret, or they are just naturally quiet. It’s a very practical word that adds a lot of nuance to your Chinese conversations.
§ When Do People Use 小声地?
People use “小声地” in many different situations. Here are a few common scenarios:
- Sharing a secret: If you’re telling someone something private, you’ll definitely speak “小声地.”
- In a quiet place: Like a library, hospital, or during a meeting where you don’t want to be disruptive.
- To avoid disturbing others: If someone is sleeping, or you’re in a crowded public space and want to keep your conversation private.
- Expressing shyness or hesitation: Sometimes, people speak “小声地” when they are shy or unsure about what they are saying.
It’s important to note that “小声地” almost always precedes a verb, describing *how* that action is performed. For example, “小声地说” (xiǎo shēng de shuō) means “to speak softly.”
§ Examples in Context
Let’s look at some practical examples to see how “小声地” is used:
他小声地说了一个秘密。
Translation hint: He softly said a secret. (He whispered a secret.)
请你小声地说话，孩子在睡觉。
Translation hint: Please speak softly, the child is sleeping.
她小声地笑了。
Translation hint: She laughed softly.
As you can see from these examples, “小声地” always describes the way an action is performed. It's not about the person being small, but about the volume of their voice or sound. This is a common pattern in Chinese with adverbs formed with “地”.
Modèles grammaticaux
Expressions idiomatiques
"低声细语 (dī shēng xì yǔ)"
Whispering softly; murmuring
他们低声细语，生怕吵醒孩子。 (They whispered softly, afraid of waking the child.)
neutral"轻声慢语 (qīng shēng màn yǔ)"
Speaking gently and slowly
她总是轻声慢语，很有耐心。 (She always speaks gently and slowly, very patiently.)
neutral"窃窃私语 (qiè qiè sī yǔ)"
Whispering secretly among a few people
教室里，学生们窃窃私语。 (In the classroom, students were whispering secretly.)
neutral"耳边风 (ěr biān fēng)"
Words whispered in one's ear, but ignored; advice that goes in one ear and out the other
他的话对我来说是耳边风。 (His words are like wind in my ear to me [I don't pay attention to them].)
informal"悄悄话 (qiāo qiāo huà)"
Whispered words; secret talk
她们在说悄悄话，我听不到。 (They are having a secret talk, I can't hear it.)
neutral"语重心长 (yǔ zhòng xīn cháng)"
Speaking earnestly and sincerely (often implying a serious or important topic)
老师语重心长地对他说。 (The teacher spoke to him earnestly and sincerely.)
formal"轻描淡写 (qīng miáo dàn xiě)"
To mention lightly; to play down (often an important matter)
他把这件事轻描淡写地带过了。 (He lightly touched upon this matter.)
neutral"不声不响 (bù shēng bù xiǎng)"
Without a sound; quietly; secretly
他总是不声不响地做事情。 (He always does things quietly.)
neutral"细声细气 (xì shēng xì qì)"
Speaking in a soft, gentle voice (often referring to women or children)
小女孩细声细气地问。 (The little girl asked in a soft, gentle voice.)
neutral"默不作声 (mò bù zuò shēng)"
To keep silent; not say a word
他默不作声地离开了房间。 (He left the room without saying a word.)
neutralStructures de phrases
subject + 小声地 + verb
她小声地说。 (Tā xiǎoshēngde shuō.) She spoke softly.
subject + 小声地 + verb + object
他小声地告诉我一个秘密。 (Tā xiǎoshēngde gàosù wǒ yí ge mìmì.) He quietly told me a secret.
subject + 小声地 + adverb + verb
孩子们小声地玩儿得很开心。 (Háizimen xiǎoshēngde wánr de hěn kāixīn.) The children quietly played very happily.
subject + 小声地 + verb + complement of state
他小声地说得很快。 (Tā xiǎoshēngde shuō de hěn kuài.) He spoke softly and quickly.
subject + 小声地 + verb + prepositional phrase
她小声地对我说。 (Tā xiǎoshēngde duì wǒ shuō.) She spoke softly to me.
subject + adverb + 小声地 + verb
我们总是小声地说话。 (Wǒmen zǒngshì xiǎoshēngde shuōhuà.) We always speak softly.
小声地 + verb + subject
小声地，他走出了房间。 (Xiǎoshēngde, tā zǒuchū le fángjiān.) Softly, he walked out of the room.
小声地 + phrase/clause
小声地，她告诉了我她的想法。 (Xiǎoshēngde, tā gàosù le wǒ tā de xiǎngfǎ.) Softly, she told me her thoughts.
Comment l'utiliser
小声地 (xiǎoshēngde) is an adverb used to describe an action performed softly or in a low voice. It often modifies verbs of speaking, singing, or any action where volume is a factor. You’ll typically see it before the verb it modifies.
Examples:
- 他小声地跟我说话。(Tā xiǎoshēngde gēn wǒ shuōhuà.) - He spoke to me softly. (Lit. He softly with me speak.)
- 老师叫他小声地读课文。(Lǎoshī jiào tā xiǎoshēngde dú kèwén.) - The teacher told him to read the text in a low voice. (Lit. Teacher tell him softly read text.)
- 她小声地唱着歌。(Tā xiǎoshēngde chàngzhe gē.) - She sang softly. (Lit. She softly singing song.)
A common mistake is forgetting the 地 (de) particle, which is essential for adverbs modifying verbs. While sometimes in very casual speech it might be omitted, for correct grammar, especially at the A2 level, include it.
Another mistake is confusing it with 轻声 (qīngshēng) which refers to the neutral tone in Chinese pronunciation, not the volume of speech.
Teste-toi 30 questions
Choose the correct translation for '小声地说话'.
小声地 (xiǎoshēngde) means 'softly' or 'in a low voice', and 说话 (shuōhuà) means 'to speak'. So, 小声地说话 means 'to speak softly'.
Which of these situations would you use '小声地'?
In a library, you need to be quiet, so talking '小声地' (softly) is appropriate.
Fill in the blank: 老师在睡觉，请你 ______ 走。
The teacher is sleeping, so you should walk '小声地' (softly) to not disturb them.
If you want someone to speak quietly, you can say '请小声地说话'.
'请小声地说话' (qǐng xiǎoshēngde shuōhuà) literally means 'please speak softly', which is correct if you want someone to speak quietly.
'小声地' can be used to describe someone singing very loudly.
'小声地' means 'softly' or 'in a low voice', so it cannot describe singing very loudly.
When you are in a quiet place like a hospital, it's good to talk '小声地'.
In quiet places like hospitals, it is respectful and appropriate to speak '小声地' (softly).
她___对我说，"我爱你。"
The context implies a private or intimate declaration, making '小声地' (softly/in a low voice) the most suitable adverb.
老师叫我们___讨论问题。
Teachers often ask students to discuss in a low voice to avoid disturbing others. '小声地' fits this context.
为了不吵醒孩子，他___关上了门。
While '小声地' relates to sound, '轻轻地' (gently) is more appropriate for the action of closing a door quietly to avoid waking someone.
请你___说话，我听不清。
If someone can't hear, they would ask you to speak louder, not more softly. '大声地' means loudly.
她___问我，"这是什么？"
Asking '这是什么？' (What is this?) in a low voice suggests curiosity or discretion, making '小声地' a fitting choice.
我们开会的时候，大家都在___交流。
During a meeting, people typically communicate in a low voice to maintain order and allow for individual conversations without disrupting the main discussion. '小声地' fits this scenario.
Imagine you are in a library and someone is speaking loudly on their phone. Write a short paragraph describing how you would politely ask them to speak more softly, using the word "小声地".
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
在图书馆里，我注意到有人在大声地打电话，这有点打扰到其他人。我会礼貌地走过去对他说：“不好意思，这里是图书馆，大家都在学习，您可以小声地讲电话吗？”
You are a parent trying to soothe a baby who is about to fall asleep. Describe how you would sing a lullaby "小声地" to your child. Focus on the gentle atmosphere.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
我的孩子快要睡着了，我坐在床边，小声地哼唱着摇篮曲。房间里很安静，只有我温柔的声音，希望他能有一个甜美的梦。
You are in a tense meeting where a secret is being discussed. Describe how the participants would speak "小声地" to avoid being overheard.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
这是一次秘密会议，大家都非常紧张。与会者小声地讨论着重要的情报，生怕被门外的人听到，气氛异常凝重。
根据短文，主持人为什么“小声地”向同事说明情况？
Read this passage:
在一次重要的颁奖典礼上，主持人突然意识到麦克风出了问题。为了不影响现场气氛，他迅速调整了设备，并小声地向身边的同事说明情况，以免引起观众的注意。
根据短文，主持人为什么“小声地”向同事说明情况？
短文明确提到，主持人小声地说明情况是为了“以免引起观众的注意”，即不想打扰观众。
短文明确提到，主持人小声地说明情况是为了“以免引起观众的注意”，即不想打扰观众。
医生在病房里“小声地”与护士交流的主要原因是什么？
Read this passage:
医生在病房里查看病人的情况。为了不惊扰正在休息的病人，他特意小声地与护士交流，并轻手轻脚地移动，尽可能地保持病房的安静。
医生在病房里“小声地”与护士交流的主要原因是什么？
文章中提到“为了不惊扰正在休息的病人”，以及“尽可能地保持病房的安静”，所以医生小声地交流是为了不打扰病人休息。
文章中提到“为了不惊扰正在休息的病人”，以及“尽可能地保持病房的安静”，所以医生小声地交流是为了不打扰病人休息。
父母为什么“小声地”讨论孩子的学业问题？
Read this passage:
晚上，父母在客厅里小声地讨论着孩子的学业问题。他们不想让正在卧室里做作业的孩子听到这些可能会给他带来压力的对话。虽然声音很低，但他们的表情透露出内心的担忧。
父母为什么“小声地”讨论孩子的学业问题？
短文中明确指出“他们不想让正在卧室里做作业的孩子听到这些可能会给他带来压力的对话”，所以是怕孩子听到。
短文中明确指出“他们不想让正在卧室里做作业的孩子听到这些可能会给他带来压力的对话”，所以是怕孩子听到。
This sentence means 'In the library, talking softly is basic etiquette.' '小声地' modifies '交谈' (to talk).
This sentence means 'She complained softly, but no one heard.' '小声地' modifies '抱怨' (to complain).
This sentence means 'During the meeting, he softly reminded me of important details.' '小声地' modifies '提醒' (to remind).
The sentence structure is Subject + Adverb + Verb + Object. '他' (he) is the subject, '小声地' (softly) is the adverb modifying the verb '说' (said), and '一个秘密' (a secret) is the object.
Here, '老师' (teacher) is the subject, '小声地' (softly) is the adverb, and '提醒' (reminded) is the verb. '学生' (students) is the indirect object, and '保持安静' (to keep quiet) is the direct object phrase.
The subject is '她' (she), followed by the adverb '小声地' (softly). '哼唱着' (humming) is the verb phrase, and '一首熟悉的歌' (a familiar song) is the object.
/ 30 correct
Perfect score!
Exemple
他小声地告诉我一个秘密。
