少见

• Pinyin: shǎo jiàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 少 = 小 + 丿 (few); 见 = 见 (see)

Meaning

Rarely seen; uncommon; seldom. As an adjective, rare or unusual.

Describes things that are infrequently encountered, either due to actual rarity or lack of personal experience. Can also be used sarcastically to comment on someone's long absence.

Examples

1. 这种植物在北方比较少见。 This kind of plant is fairly rare in the North.
2. 少见多怪，大城市里这很常见。 Don’t act like it’s so strange—this is very common in big cities.
3. 好久不见你了，真是少见啊。 I haven’t seen you in ages—what a rare sight!

Usage Guide

Context: observations, greetings, descriptions

Tone: varies

Do Say

• 他这么准时来上班还真是少见。(It's really rare for him to come to work so punctually.)
• 这种天气在这个季节非常少见。(This kind of weather is very rare for this season.)

Don't Say

• 这个东西很少见地好 — 少见 describes rarity, not manner; use 格外 or 异常 for unusually good

Origin & History

少 (few) + 见 (see)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal