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Word

少 (shǎo) — Chinese word meaning

HSK 1

also read as:
shao few; little; small in quantity
shào young; youthful

少 (shǎo) is a Chinese word: few; little; less. This page shows its pinyin, translation, example sentences, character breakdown, decomposition, and HSK level.

Meaning of 少

形 xíng adjective

few; little; less

我的钱很少。

wǒ de qián hěn shǎo

I have very little money.

动 dòng verb

to lack

这里少一个人。

zhè lǐ shǎo yí ge rén

There's one person missing here.

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Word breakdown

少 shǎo — few; little; less

Words with this character (10)
Show more (+5)
  • 6 至少 zhì shǎo — at least HSK 4
    • 至 to reach, arriving at (a point/limit)
    • 少 few, little, minimum
    Example

    我至少需要三天时间。

    wǒ zhì shǎo xū yào sān tiān shí jiān

    I need at least three days.

  • 7 少不了 shǎo bu liǎo — cannot do without HSK 7
    • 少 lacking, less
    • 不 not (negative particle)
    • 了 able to, can (indicates possibility)
    Example

    这个项目少不了你的帮助。

    zhè ge xiàng mù shǎo bu liǎo nǐ de bāng zhù

    This project cannot do without your help.

  • 8 必不可少 bì bù kě shǎo — indispensable HSK 7
    • 必 must, necessarily
    • 不 not, negation
    • 可 can, possible to
    • 少 lack, be without
    Example

    水是生命必不可少的元素。

    shuǐ shì shēng mìng bì bù kě shǎo de yuán sù

    Water is an indispensable element for life.

  • 9 或多或少 huò duō huò shǎo — more or less HSK 7
    • 或 or, perhaps (introduces alternatives)
    • 多 more, much (represents the higher degree)
    • 或 or, perhaps (continues the alternative structure)
    • 少 less, little (represents the lower degree)
    Example

    每个人或多或少都会犯错。

    měi gè rén huò duō huò shǎo dōu huì fàn cuò

    Everyone makes mistakes more or less.

  • 10 稀少 xī shǎo — scarce HSK 7
    • 稀 sparse, thin, scattered
    • 少 few, little, small in quantity
    Example

    这种植物在野外已经很稀少了。

    zhè zhǒng zhí wù zài yě wài yǐ jīng hěn xī shǎo le

    This plant is already very scarce in the wild.

Structure & writing
1 少 shǎo — few; little (opposite of 多)
Xpinyin
少 is a component in 11 characters
HSK 3
沙 shā sand; tiny stone particles
HSK 4
省 shěng to save; to economize (opposite of 费) 秒 miǎo awn on grain husks
HSK 5
吵 chǎo noisy and chaotic; disturbing 炒 chǎo to stir-fry (cook by stirring ingredients in hot oil in a wok)
HSK 6
劣 liè inferior, bad (opposite of 优) 妙 miào beautiful; fine 抄 chāo to copy (text); to transcribe
HSK 7
渺 miǎo vast and boundless (of water) 纱 shā yarn spun from cotton, hemp, etc., used to twist into thread or weave into cloth 钞 chāo banknote, paper currency

consists of

1.1 小 xiǎo — small; little (opposite of 大)
小 is a component in 11 characters
HSK 1
少 shǎo few; little (opposite of 多)
HSK 3
叔 shū father's younger brother; also a form of address for a man of the same generation as one's father but younger and unrelated (can be reduplicated)
HSK 4
京 jīng capital city of a country 亲 qīn related by blood or marriage; esp. parents 孙 sūn grandchild; relatives of the grandchild's generation 尔 ěr (lit.) you (second-person pronoun) 戚 qi
HSK 6
尖 jiān tip or pointed end of an object 尘 chén dust, flying dirt
HSK 7
隙 xì crack; crevice 雀 què sparrow; small bird with long wings, varies in plumage between sexes, feeds on grains and insects; refers broadly to small birds
1.2 丿 piě — the leftward-falling diagonal stroke in Chinese characters
丿 is a component in 14 characters
HSK 1
么 me suffix 午 wǔ the seventh of the twelve Earthly Branches 少 shǎo few; little (opposite of 多) 系 xì system; interconnected series
HSK 3
必 bì certainly; definitely
HSK 4
乒 pīng onomatopoeia for a gunshot or the sound of objects colliding 失 shī to lose; to be deprived of (opposite of 得) 血 xuè blood (the red fluid circulating in the body, composed of plasma, red cells, white cells, and platelets)
HSK 5
乏 fá lacking; without 币 bì currency; money used as a medium of exchange 延 yán to stretch and lengthen; to extend 追 zhuī to chase; to catch up with
HSK 7
勿 wù do not; must not (prohibition or dissuasion) 囱 cōng chimney; flue for stove or boiler

Stroke order