少

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See also: 𣥂
少 U+5C11, 少
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5C11
← 尐
[U+5C10] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 尒 →
[U+5C12]

Translingual[edit]

Stroke order
4 strokes
Stroke order

Alternative forms[edit]

  • Note that in Japanese Kanji, Korean Hanja and Vietnamese Nom, the middle stroke of the top component 小 is written 亅 with a hook whereas in modern Chinese scripts the middle stroke is written 丨 with no downward hook.

Han character[edit]

少 (Kangxi radical 42, 小+1, 4 strokes, cangjie input 火竹 (FH), four-corner 90200, composition ⿱𡭔丿(GT) or ⿱小丿(HJKV))

Derived characters[edit]

References[edit]

  • KangXi: page 296, character 20
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 7475
  • Dae Jaweon: page 590, character 2
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 561, character 2
  • Unihan data for U+5C11

Chinese[edit]

simp. and trad.
 少

Glyph origin[edit]

Historical forms of the character 少
Shang
Oracle bone script
Characters in the same phonetic series (小) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
觘 *sm̥ʰreːw, *sm̥ʰreːws
抄 *sm̥ʰreːw, *sm̥ʰreːws
鈔 *sm̥ʰreːw, *sm̥ʰreːws
訬 *sm̥ʰreːw, *mewʔ
炒 *sʰroːʔ
吵 *sm̥ʰreːwʔ, *mewʔ
耖 *sm̥ʰreːws
仯 *sm̥ʰreːws
眇 *mewʔ
渺 *mewʔ
杪 *mewʔ
秒 *mewʔ
篎 *mewʔ, *mews
妙 *mews
玅 *mews
釥 *sm̥ʰewʔ
小 *smewʔ
少 *hmjewʔ, *hmjews
麨 *m̥ʰjewʔ
尠 *senʔ, *smos

Pictogram (象形) – four dots; few; little. Compare 小 (OC *smewʔ, “small”), which is depicted by three dots.

Pronunciation 1[edit]

Note:
  • ciēu - colloquial;
  • siēu - literary.
  • Min Nan
    • Note:
    • chió - vernacular;
    • siáu - literary.
    Note:
    • ziê2 - Chaozhou, vernacular;
    • zio2 - Shantou, vernacular.
  • Wu
  • Xiang
    • Rime
    Character 少
    Reading # 1/2
    Initial (聲) 書 (26)
    Final (韻) 宵 (91)
    Tone (調) Rising (X)
    Openness (開合) Open
    Division (等) III
    Fanqie 書沼切
    Baxter syewX
    Reconstructions
    Zhengzhang
    Shangfang         		/ɕiᴇuX/
    Pan
    Wuyun         		/ɕiɛuX/
    Shao
    Rongfen         		/ɕjæuX/
    Edwin
    Pulleyblank         		/ɕiawX/
    Li
    Rong         		/ɕiɛuX/
    Wang
    Li         		/ɕĭɛuX/
    Bernard
    Karlgren         		/ɕi̯ɛuX/
    Expected
    Mandarin
    Reflex         		shǎo
    Expected
    Cantonese
    Reflex         		siu2
    Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
    Character 少
    Reading # 1/2
    Modern
    Beijing
    (Pinyin)         		shǎo
    Middle
    Chinese         		‹ syewX ›
    Old
    Chinese         		/*[s.t]ewʔ/
    English few

    Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

    * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
    * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
    * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
    * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

    * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
    Zhengzhang system (2003)
    Character 少
    Reading # 1/2
    No. 13706
    Phonetic
    component         		小
    Rime
    group         		宵
    Rime
    subdivision         		2
    Corresponding
    MC rime         		少
    Old
    Chinese         		/*hmjewʔ/
    Notes 小轉註字
    This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!
    Particularly: “Gan, Jin, Xiang, Min Bei pronunciations are missing by senses”

    Definitions[edit]

    少

    1. few; little in number; less; not many
      很少人知道實情。／很少人知道实情。  ―  Hěn shǎo rén zhīdào shíqíng.  ―  Very few people know the truth.
      只有很少麵包和餅乾。 [MSC, trad.]
      只有很少面包和饼干。 [MSC, simp.]
      Zhǐyǒu hěn shǎo miànbāo hé bǐnggān. [Pinyin]
      There is only very little bread and biscuits.
    2. weak; inadequate; insufficient
    3. † Alternative form of 小 (xiǎo, “small; tiny”).
    4. to lack; to be short of; to be deficient
      臥室裡少一隻電燈泡。 [MSC, trad.]
      卧室里少一只电灯泡。 [MSC, simp.]
      Wòshì lǐ shǎo yī zhī diàndēngpào. [Pinyin]
      There's a light bulb missing in the bedroom.
      少咗碗飯／少咗碗饭 [Cantonese]  ―  siu2 zo2 wun2 faan6 [Jyutping]  ―  missing a bowl of rice
      裝少咗兩粒螺絲 [Cantonese, trad.]
      装少咗两粒螺丝 [Cantonese, simp.]
      zong1 siu2 zo2 loeng5 lap1 lo4 si1 [Jyutping]
      forgot to install two screws
    5. to reduce (the amount or extent); to weaken; to lose; to stop; to cease
      他屋裡少了東西。／他屋里少了东西。  ―  Tā wū lǐ shǎo le dōngxi.  ―  He lost something in his house.
      少說廢話！／少说废话！  ―  Shǎo shuō fèihuà!  ―  Stop chattering!
    6. † to despise; to look down; to belittle
    7. slightly; moderately; a little; a bit
    8. seldom; rarely; infrequently
      懶惰的人很少會成功。 [MSC, trad.]
      懒惰的人很少会成功。 [MSC, simp.]
      Lǎnduò de rén hěn shǎo huì chénggōng. [Pinyin]
      Lazy people seldom succeed.
    9. in a little while; in a moment
    10. 5th tetragram of the Taixuanjing (𝌊)
    Synonyms[edit]
    Dialectal synonyms of 少 (“few; little in number”) [map]
    Variety Location Words
    Classical Chinese 少
    Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 少
    Mandarin Beijing 少
    Taiwan 少
    Jinan 少
    Xi'an 少
    Wuhan 少
    Chengdu 少
    Yangzhou 少
    Hefei 少
    Cantonese Guangzhou 少
    Hong Kong 少
    Yangjiang 少
    Gan Nanchang 少
    Hakka Meixian 少
    Miaoli (N. Sixian) 少
    Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 少
    Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 少
    Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 少
    Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 少
    Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 少
    Jin Taiyuan 少
    Min Bei Jian'ou 少
    Min Dong Fuzhou 少
    Min Nan Xiamen 少
    Chaozhou 少
    Wu Suzhou 少
    Ningbo 缺
    Wenzhou 少
    Xiang Changsha 少
    Shuangfeng 少
    Antonyms[edit]
    • (few): 多 (duō)

    Compounds[edit]

    Derived terms from 少

    Pronunciation 2[edit]

    Rime
    Character 少
    Reading # 2/2
    Initial (聲) 書 (26)
    Final (韻) 宵 (91)
    Tone (調) Departing (H)
    Openness (開合) Open
    Division (等) III
    Fanqie 失照切
    Baxter syewH
    Reconstructions
    Zhengzhang
    Shangfang         		/ɕiᴇuH/
    Pan
    Wuyun         		/ɕiɛuH/
    Shao
    Rongfen         		/ɕjæuH/
    Edwin
    Pulleyblank         		/ɕiawH/
    Li
    Rong         		/ɕiɛuH/
    Wang
    Li         		/ɕĭɛuH/
    Bernard
    Karlgren         		/ɕi̯ɛuH/
    Expected
    Mandarin
    Reflex         		shào
    Expected
    Cantonese
    Reflex         		siu3
    Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
    Character 少
    Reading # 2/2
    Modern
    Beijing
    (Pinyin)         		shào
    Middle
    Chinese         		‹ syewH ›
    Old
    Chinese         		/*[s-t]ewʔ-s/
    English young

    Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

    * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
    * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
    * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
    * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

    * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
    Zhengzhang system (2003)
    Character 少
    Reading # 2/2
    No. 13708
    Phonetic
    component         		小
    Rime
    group         		宵
    Rime
    subdivision         		2
    Corresponding
    MC rime         		少
    Old
    Chinese         		/*hmjews/

    Definitions[edit]

    少

    1. young; youthful; juvenile
      別看她歲數大，可長得少相。 [MSC, trad.]
      别看她岁数大，可长得少相。 [MSC, simp.]
      Bié kàn tā suìshù dà, kě zhǎng dé shào xiàng. [Pinyin]
      Despite her age, she still looked young.
    2. later in a sequence; younger; youngest
    3. childhood; youth; young period
    4. young man; youngster; junior
    5. (historical) deputy; assistant
    6. (historical) young master of a rich family
      二少 [Cantonese]  ―  ji6 siu3 [Jyutping]  ―  second young master
    7. a surname
    Synonyms[edit]
    Dialectal synonyms of 年輕 (“young”) [map]
    Variety Location Words
    Classical Chinese 少
    Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 年輕
    Mandarin Beijing 年輕
    Taiwan 年輕
    Jinan 年輕
    Luoyang 年輕
    Xi'an 年輕
    Wuhan 年輕
    Chengdu 年輕
    Liuzhou 後生
    Yangzhou 年輕
    Hefei 年輕
    Malaysia 年輕
    Singapore 年輕
    Cantonese Guangzhou 後生, 年紀嫩, 年青
    Hong Kong 後生, 年青, 年輕
    Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou) 後生
    Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou) 後生
    Hong Kong (Ting Kok) 後生
    Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) 後生
    Macau 後生
    Guangzhou (Panyu) 後生
    Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) 後生
    Guangzhou (Conghua) 後生
    Guangzhou (Zengcheng) 後生
    Foshan 後生
    Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) 後生
    Foshan (Shunde) 後生
    Foshan (Sanshui) 後生
    Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) 年嫩
    Zhongshan (Shiqi) 後生
    Zhuhai (Qianshan) 後生
    Zhuhai (Doumen, Shangheng Tanka) 後生
    Zhuhai (Doumen) 後生
    Jiangmen (Baisha) 後生
    Jiangmen (Xinhui) 後生
    Taishan 後生
    Kaiping (Chikan) 後生
    Enping (Niujiang) 後生
    Heshan (Yayao) 後生
    Dongguan 後生
    Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) 後生
    Yangjiang 後生
    Danzhou 嫩
    Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) 後生
    Singapore (Guangfu) 後生
    Gan Nanchang 年輕, 後生
    Lichuan 年輕, 後生
    Pingxiang 後生
    Hakka Meixian 後生
    Xingning 後生
    Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua) 後生
    Huidong (Daling) 後生
    Dongguan (Qingxi) 後生
    Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) 後生
    Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) 後生
    Shaoguan (Qujiang) 後生
    Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang) 後生
    Conghua (Lütian) 後生
    Changting 後生
    Wuping 後生
    Wuping (Pingyu) 後生
    Liancheng 後生
    Ninghua 後生
    Ruijin 後生
    Shicheng 後生
    Shangyou (Shexi) 後生
    Miaoli (N. Sixian) 後生
    Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 後生
    Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 後生
    Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 後生
    Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 後生
    Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 少年
    Hong Kong 後生
    Senai (Huiyang) 後生
    Singkawang 後生
    Huizhou Jixi 後生
    Jin Taiyuan 年輕
    Min Bei Jian'ou 後生
    Jianyang 後生
    Pucheng (Shibei) 後生
    Min Dong Fuzhou 後生
    Fuqing 後生
    Matsu 後生, 年輕
    Singapore (Fuqing) 年輕
    Min Nan Xiamen 少年
    Xiamen (Tong'an) 少年
    Quanzhou 少年
    Zhangzhou 少年
    Zhao'an 後生
    Taipei 少年
    Kaohsiung 少年
    Yilan 少年
    Changhua (Lukang) 少年
    Taichung 少年
    Taichung (Wuqi) 少年
    Tainan 少年
    Taitung 少年
    Hsinchu 少年
    Kinmen 少年
    Penghu (Magong) 少年
    Penang (Hokkien) 少年
    Singapore (Hokkien) 少年, 後生
    Manila (Hokkien) 少年, 少歲, 後生
    Zhangping (Yongfu) 少年, 後生仔
    Datian 後生
    Chaozhou 後生
    Shantou 後生
    Shantou (Chenghai) 後生
    Jieyang 後生
    Bangkok (Teochew) 後生
    Johor Bahru (Teochew) 後生
    Singapore (Teochew) 後生
    Leizhou 後生
    Wenchang 幼, 年青
    Haikou 幼
    Singapore (Hainanese) 幼
    Zhongshan Min Shaxi (Longdu) 後生
    Wu Shanghai 年輕, 後生
    Suzhou 年紀輕
    Hangzhou 後生
    Ningbo 後生, 年紀輕
    Wenzhou 後生
    Xiang Changsha 冒年紀, 年輕
    Shuangfeng 冒年紀

    Compounds[edit]

    Derived terms from 少

    Japanese[edit]

    Kanji[edit]

    少

    (grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

    1. A little, just a little.

    Readings[edit]

    Compounds[edit]

    Compounds

    Korean[edit]

    Hanja[edit]

    少 (eumhun 적을 소 (jeogeul so))

    1. Hanja form? of 소 (“(to be) little; (to be) few”).

    Vietnamese[edit]

    Han character[edit]

    少: Hán Việt readings: thiếu[1][2][3][4][5][6], thiểu[1][2][3][4][5][6]
    少: Nôm readings: thiếu[1][2][3], thiểu[1][2][3], thểu[2], thỉu[2], thẹo[3], thẻo[3], ít[2]

    1. chữ Hán form of thiếu (“lack, short on”).
    2. Nôm form of ít (“few, little”).
    3. Nôm form of thẹo (“scar”).

    References[edit]

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Nguyễn (2014).
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Trần (2004).
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Trần (1999).
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Nguyễn (1974).
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Thiều Chửu (1942).
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