少

• Pinyin: shǎo
• Hanzi breakdown: 少 = related to 小 (small), with an additional stroke suggesting subtraction or reduction

Meaning

Few; little; less. Indicates a small quantity or amount.

The opposite of 多 (many/much). Used to describe small quantities of both countable and uncountable things. Can function as an adjective (很少 - very few) or a verb (少了一个人 - one person is missing). Also pronounced shào in words like 少年 (youth).

Examples

1. 今天人很少。 There are very few people today.
2. 我的钱很少。 I have very little money.
3. 他很少迟到。 He is seldom late.

Usage Guide

Context: quantity, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 人太少了。(There are too few people.)
• 请少放点盐。(Please put less salt.)

Don't Say

• 很少的人来了。(Awkward — say 来的人很少 or 很少人来了, adjusting the sentence structure)

Origin & History

Originally depicted something small or diminished. The character shows a small amount divided by strokes, representing a lesser quantity.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal