biraz and az: a little or too little

The idea

Biraz means a little, some: a modest amount, usually enough to work with. It stands before a noun (biraz su), before an adjective (biraz soğuk) and in biraz daha (a little more). Az means little, few: less than is needed or expected. It stands before nouns, including people (az insan), and before verbs (az uyuyorum), and çok strengthens it: çok az.

Examples

• Ben biraz su istiyorum.I would like a little water.The pronoun ben may be dropped: Biraz su istiyorum is the usual form.
• Evde az süt var.There is little milk at home.
• Ben biraz Türkçe konuşuyorum.I speak a little Turkish.Biraz is the modest way to say how much you speak. Az Türkçe konuşuyorum tends to sound like a complaint.
• Biraz zamanım var.I have a little time.
• Çok az zamanım var.I have very little time.Çok strengthens az: çok az means very little. Biraz cannot be strengthened this way, so çok biraz does not exist.
• Bugün hava biraz soğuk.It is a bit cold today.
• Bu hafta çok az uyuyorum.I am sleeping very little this week.
• Biraz daha çay alabilir miyim?Could I have a little more tea?
• Parkta bugün az insan var.There are few people in the park today.For people, Turkish uses az insan. Biraz is for amounts and degrees, not for counting people.

Watch out

Do not use az to play down what you know. Az Türkçe konuşuyorum tends to sound like a complaint that you speak too little; to say you speak a little, say Biraz Türkçe konuşuyorum. And do not put çok before biraz: very little is çok az, never çok biraz.

Try it yourself

1. Fill the gap: It is a bit hot today.

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   biraz

   biraz: the gap gives a mild degree before an adjective, and that is the job of biraz; az does not soften an adjective this way.

2. Fill the gap: I have very little money in my wallet, it is not enough.

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   çok az / az

   çok az: the clause yetmiyor says the money is not enough, so the amount is a shortage and çok strengthens it; plain az is accepted too.

3. Fill the gap: Could I have a little more bread?

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   biraz

   biraz: you ask for a modest extra portion, and biraz daha is the usual polite way to say "a little more".

4. Fill the gap: There are few people in the park, everyone is at home.

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   az / çok az

   az: the park is almost empty, so the people are fewer than expected, and a number of people takes az, not biraz.

Use it today

Write four sentences about your day: two with biraz (something you have a little of) and two with az (something you have too little of).