A little + noun

A little + noun
 

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.

Tengo un poquito miedo de ...

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"

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.

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

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.