Difference between 有一点儿+ADJ and ADJ+一点儿 ？

[meanbean]

Are there any differences between these two?

For example:

我来晚一点儿了。

我来有一点儿晚了。

Or could it be that youyidianr is used more for descriptive adjectives? Not very sure.

Thanks in advance.

[muyongshi]

I'll come a bit later

I came late.

[Euarne]

一点儿+adj usually means a little + adj

for example 我有一点儿累/饿（I am a little tired / hungry）

“adj+一点儿” is a bit complex

it often means more or at a greater depth

[leeyah]

有点儿 + 形容词 = 程度不高，稍微 to an extent, in some degree, *often used in negative connotation：

时间有点儿短了。There's not much time.

形容词+点儿 = 少量的, slightly, a little, somewhat：

再便宜一点儿,可以吗? How about lowering the price a bit?

The two sentences you gave mean approximately the same, basically there's no difference at all, but I think the second carries a stronger feeling of shouldn't have:

1.我来晚一点儿了。>>晚一点也没关系 因为开幕式还没有开始

I came a little late .(but it didn't really make a big difference>>the opening ceremony had not started yet)

2.我来有一点儿晚了。>>开幕式已经开始了

I came a bit late. *(so I missed the opening ceremony)

Future:

我晚一点儿来。 I'll be/come a little late.

再晚一点就没有能来接你的人了。 If you come just a little later, there may be no one to meet you.

[Guoke]

有（一）点儿 + [形容词] = a little [ADJ]

有（一）点儿累 = a little tired

有（一）点儿困难 = a little difficult

有（一）点儿乱 = a little messy

有（一）点儿冷 = a little cold

[形容词] + 了（一）点儿 = a little too [ADJ]

贵了（一）点儿 = a little too expensive

晚/迟了（一）点儿 = a little too late

重了（一）点儿 = a little too heavy

长了（一）点儿 = a little too long

慢了（一）点儿 = a little too slow

[xiaocai]

我来晚一点儿了。

我来有一点儿晚了。

Both sound quite strange to me. Where are these examples from?

[HashiriKata]

Both sound quite strange to me.

Is that because the 得 is missing? I often assume that in informal speech the 得 can be dropped in sentences similar to these (such as: 我来晚了!). No ?

Edited September 30, 2009 at 08:40 PM by HashiriKata

[xiaocai]

Is that because the 得 is missing? I often assume that in informal speech the 得 can be dropped in sentences similar to these (such as: 我来晚了!).

Now you've got me there. Missing 得 might be one of the reasons why they sound strange to me. Also I think the 了 at the end is better omitted. I can't explain why but just feel that it is ok to drop the 得 in 我来晚了 but not in the two examples given by OP.

[muyongshi]

If we are talking about how they should be said I think the first is strange because it is supposed to be something that hasn't happened yet so yes drop the 了 and add a 要

我要来晚一点

See all better!

For the second one the 了would sound better after the main verb as opposed to at the end of the sentence.

我来了有一点晚。

[xiaocai]

我要来晚一点/我来了有一点晚

Still sound strange...

How about:

我会来得晚一点儿。

and 我会晚一点来。

Both mean I will come a bit later.

[leeyah]

A bit more on Chinese grammar theory>>scrolling down to Phrases indicating quantity such as 一点儿 gives a short list of patterns and their English translation (imperative sentences).

[HashiriKata]

Thanks for confirming, xiaocai!

The following, with 得 inserted, seem perfectly ok:

我是不是来得晚点儿了?

我来得有点儿晚了，对不起！

[Guoke]

"我来晚了一点儿" would sound more natural.