A little + noun

[fglorca]

How would 'We are a little afraid of this monster' be translated?

Tenemos miedo de este monstruo' doesn't really convey the meaning of 'a little'.

Many thanks.

[poli]

Tengo un poquito miedo de ...

[aleCcowaN]

Este monstruo nos da (algo/un poco/un poquito/un poquitito) de miedo

There you have all the gradation from "a little" to "a bit". In some regions "un poco" is said "una poca" -though rarely in this context but when real quantities are implied- and "poquitito" is said "poquitico"

[poli]

This is what I like about Tomísimo. Alec notes the fine point difference between poquitico and poquitito. I wonder if this is strictly an Argentinian fine point, though. I'm clearly not a native speaker, but where I live much Spanish spoken is Caribbean, and I know that coastal Colombia uses 'ico suffix all the time, and it differenciates them from nations close by.

[Rusty]

The -ico suffix is also heavily used in Costa Rica.

[aleCcowaN]

I meant the comment between hyphens to be applied to poco and poca.



Costa Ricans are known as ticos because their extended use of the suffix -ico.