稀少

• Pinyin: xī shǎo
• Hanzi breakdown: 稀 = 禾 + 希 (grain + scarce); 少 = a few strokes indicating a small amount (four dots reduced to three — small quantity)

Meaning

Scarce; sparse; in short supply. Describes a very small quantity or a very low density of occurrence.

More neutral and objective than 稀罕. Used in statistical, scientific, ecological, and formal contexts to describe low quantities or frequencies. Commonly applied to population, resources, species, and events.

Examples

1. 由于连年干旱，当地水资源极为稀少，政府不得不实施严格的用水配给制度。 After years of drought, local water resources are extremely scarce, and the government has had to implement strict water rationing.
2. 这种植物只生长在特定的高山地带，分布稀少，属于濒危物种。 This plant grows only in specific high-mountain areas; it’s sparsely distributed and is an endangered species.
3. 偏远山区的医疗资源极为稀少，村民看病须翻越数座山岭才能抵达县城医院。 Medical resources in remote mountain regions are extremely scarce, and villagers have to cross several mountain ridges to reach the county hospital.

Usage Guide

Context: science, ecology, demographics, resources, formal writing

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 因过度捕捞和污染，这个流域的土著鱼类已十分稀少；若不修复生境，数种鱼可能局部灭绝。(Because of overfishing and pollution, native fish in this watershed are now very scarce; without habitat restoration, several species may become locally extinct.)
• 在劳动力极为稀少的偏远地区，传统大规模农业难以为继，政府应因地制宜，探索精品农业和生态旅游。(In remote areas where labour is extremely scarce, traditional large-scale farming is hard to sustain, so the government should adapt to local conditions and explore premium agriculture and ecotourism.)

Don't Say

• 稀少 when you mean 'a small number of people' in a counting context — use 寥寥无几 or 为数不多 for emphasis; 稀少 focuses on sparseness or low density rather than a precise small count, and 寥寥无几 conveys the emotional emphasis of 'very very few' more vividly

Origin & History

稀 (sparse, thin) + 少 (few, little) — both characters convey scarcity, combined to emphasise very small quantities or very low density

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal