Writing
少 (shǎo) — how to say "few" in Chinese
少
Few, little, less
adjective · verb
Radicals / Keys
小
Small
#42 · xiǎo · 3 strokes
Collocations
少一点
shǎo yìdiǎn
a little less
Examples
我钱很少，我不想去商店。
I have very little money, I don't want to go to the store.
我钱很少
I have very little money.
Mnemonic
[shǎo-] Sherlock Holmes observes a garden with 少 "few" 🍃 leaves on the trees. To deduce the mystery of the missing leaves, he traces the shape of 少 with his magnifying glass, hoping to uncover a clue. However, the puzzle remains as there are still 少 fewer clues than expected!
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "few" in Chinese?
"few" in Chinese is 少 (shǎo).
少 meaning in English
少 (shǎo) means "Few, little, less".
How is 少 pronounced?
It is pronounced shǎo (written as shao). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "few" in Chinese characters?
It is written 少 and has 4 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 少?
少 belongs to the HSK 1 vocabulary list.
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Grammar with 少
几 vs 多少 — how many/how much
几 (jǐ) + Measure Word (+ Noun)? / 多少 (duōshao) (+ Measure Word) + Noun?
少 — doing something less
少 (shǎo) + Verb Phrase
少不了 — can't do without
Subj. + 少不了 (shǎobuliǎo) + Noun / Verb Phrase
至少 — at least
至少 (zhìshǎo) + Number / Noun / Clause
可 — both A and B, either way
可 (kě) + A + 可 (kě) + B