少量

• Pinyin: shǎo liàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 少 = 小 + 丿 (few); 量 = 日 + 一 + 里 (measure, quantity)

Meaning

A small amount; a little; a limited quantity. Describes a modest, restricted quantity of something.

Used in scientific, culinary, medical, and everyday contexts to indicate that only a small quantity is involved. Often appears in instructions, recipes, and formal writing.

Examples

1. 实验需要加入少量催化剂才能启动反应。 The experiment requires adding a small amount of catalyst to start the reaction.
2. 医生建议她每天饮用少量红酒有助于心脏健康。 Her doctor advised that drinking a small amount of red wine each day can benefit heart health.
3. 仓库里只剩少量库存，需要尽快补货。 Only a small amount of inventory is left in the warehouse, so it needs to be restocked as soon as possible.

Usage Guide

Context: scientific, culinary, medical, business

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请在面团中加入少量盐调味。(Please add a small amount of salt to the dough for seasoning.)
• 该地区少量降水导致农业减产。(Limited rainfall in the region resulted in reduced agricultural output.)

Don't Say

• 我只有少量的时间 — prefer 一点点时间 or 有限的时间 for informal speech about time

Origin & History

少 (few, little) + 量 (amount, measure)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal