少
少 (shǎo) means “few”. It is made of 小 + 丿 and has 4 strokes, and is an HSK 1 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 少 into its parts
What 少 is made of
- 小 xiǎo — small
- 亅 — hook
- 八 bā — eight
- 丿 — falling stroke
Origin hint: Grains of sand; 小 provides the pronunciation and meaning (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
少 stroke order
Example sentences
今天车上人很少。Jīntiān chēshàng rén hěn shǎo.There are very few people on the bus today.
你吃得太少了。Nǐ chī de tài shǎo le.You eat too little.
Words with 少
- 多少duōshaohow many
- 不少bùshǎomany
- 青少年qīngshàoniánteenager
- 少数shǎoshùfew
- 少年shàoniánteenager
- 缺少quēshǎoto lack
- 至少zhìshǎoat least
- 减少jiǎnshǎoto reduce
- 少见shǎojiànrare
- 少量shǎoliànga small amount
Also built with 小
Quick facts
| Pinyin | shǎo |
|---|---|
| Meaning | few; little |
| Strokes | 4 |
| Radical | 小 (small, #42) |
| Pattern | Top–bottom |
| HSK | HSK 1 (exam 2025) · HSK 1 (2021) · Old HSK 1 |
Questions about 少
What does 少 mean?
少 (shǎo) means “few; little”.
How many strokes does 少 have?
少 has 4 strokes.
What is the radical of 少?
The radical of 少 is 小 (xiǎo, “small”), Kangxi radical number 42.
What parts make up 少?
少 is made of 小 (small) and 丿 (falling stroke).
Which HSK level is 少?
少 is in HSK 1 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021) and Old HSK 1.
Learn 少 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 29: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.