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Poquitito: A Wee Little Tiny Bit

¿No te parece un poquitito tarde para abrir?

Don't you think it's a bit late to open?

Caption 1, Verano Eterno - Fiesta Grande

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BANNER PLACEHOLDER

If un poco means "a little," and un poquito is the diminutive form (meaning "just a little bit"), what is un poquitito? Yup, it's the diminutive of the diminutive. It's kind of like saying: "Just a wee little bitty bit" for an exaggerated effect. In the opening line of this installment of Verano Eterno, Benjamin is giving Mauro a hard time. Using a diminutive of a diminutve helps him exaggerate his sarcastic comment for effect.

 

At a travel and tourism exposition in London, we meet Ángela who is from Tarija, Bolivia. She tells us a little bit about a favourite dish of hers from her hometown called "saice."

 

Es parecido al chili con carne, pero como les digo, es muchísimo más sabroso.

It's similar to "chili con carne," but as I tell you guys, it's way more tasty.

Se acompaña con arroz y un poquitito de ensaladita.

It comes with rice and a little bit of salad.

Captions 22-23, World Travel Market en Londres - Ángela de Bolivia

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There's one other diminutive of a diminutive that's commonly heard: Chico, as in "small" can be made "very very small" by saying chiquitito. (Note that in both cases, the "c" turns to a "qu" to retain that hard c/k sound before "i.")

 

O quizás una barba pequeñita en la barbilla que se llama perilla.

Or perhaps a tiny beard on the chin that's called a goatee.

Es la perilla, solamente aquí, chiquitito.

It's a goatee, only here, very small.

Captions 81-83, Marta de Madrid - El cuerpo - La cabeza

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Vocabulary

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