ちっとやそっと

ち

っ

と

や

そ

っ

と

Meanings

1

adverb

a little bit; a small amount

Used in negative sentences to emphasize that something cannot be done with just a small effort or amount. Often paired with できない, 無理, or similar negative expressions.

Similar words

ちょっとやそっと
Synonymous; ちっとやそっと is a slightly more emphatic or colloquial variant of ちょっとやそっと.

Etymology

Emphatic reduplicative phrase from ちっと (a variant of ちょっと, 'a little') and やそっと (from や and そっと, also meaning 'a little'). The exact derivation is uncertain, but it serves to intensify the idea of a small amount.