Learn English – The usage of “a little bit”

word-usage

I was wondering how this phrase sounds in English:

She is a little bit shy.

In my country the people say "a little bit" a lot, and sometimes they use it wrong. I have the impression that in US (or even in other countries where English is spoken), people prefer to be more specific saying "She is shy".

Anyway, I don't want to be misunderstood, can you tell me if the above phrase sounds awkward, and in which situations I can use "a little bit" without problem.

Best Answer

The phrase you wrote is fine. You could say it genuinely to express a mild amount of shyness, or an infrequent shyness.

You could also use a different intonation on "a little bit" to may the phrase sarcastic, and imply she is either very shy, or not shy at all.

The phrase "a little bit" is commonplace in the US also, and will sometimes even be shortened to "bit" i.e.

She is a bit shy.

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