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ほんの少し (ほんのすこし) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

ほんの少すこし

Common word

Meanings

1

expression, adverb

just a little; a tiny bit

Emphasizes a very small amount or degree. Often used to soften requests or statements.

ほんの少すこしだけ待まってください。
Please wait just a little bit.
砂さ糖とうをほんの少すこし入いれてください。
Please add just a tiny bit of sugar.

Kanji

少few, little

Similar words

少すこし
少し means 'a little' or 'a few', while ほんの少し adds emphasis to mean 'just a little' or 'a tiny bit'.
ちょっと
ちょっと is a more casual and versatile word for 'a little' or 'a bit', while ほんの少し is slightly more emphatic and can be used in both casual and polite contexts.

Etymology

ほんの is a contraction of ほんに (truly), which itself comes from 本 (ほん, 'true') + に. Combined with 少し (a little), it literally means 'truly a little', emphasizing a very small amount.