Wiktionary

少

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

Translingual

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Stroke order
 
Stroke order
 

Alternative forms

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  • 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

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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

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References

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  • Kangxi Dictionary: 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

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simp. and trad.
 少

Glyph origin

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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, perhaps three grains of sand (see 沙), to indicate "a few, a little". Phonetically borrowed from 小 (OC *smewʔ, “small”), which is depicted by three dots.

Unrelated to 步 (and hence 歲), in which the lower component is the stylization of a foot.

Pronunciation 1

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Note:
  • ciēu - colloquial;
  • siēu - literary.
Note:
  • chió - vernacular;
  • siáu - literary.
Note:
  • ziê2 - Chaozhou, vernacular;
  • zio2 - Shantou, vernacular.
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/
Bernhard
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, Northern Min pronunciations are missing by senses”

Definitions

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少

  1. few; little in number; less; not many
    很少人知道實情。 [MSC, trad.]
    很少人知道实情。 [MSC, simp.]
    Hěn shǎo rén zhīdào shíqíng. [Pinyin]
    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。 [MSC, trad.]
    他屋里少了东西。 [MSC, simp.]
    Tā wū lǐ shǎo le dōngxi. [Pinyin]
    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. (Hong Kong Cantonese, Internet slang, neologism) slightly; somewhat
    少癲／少癫 [Hong Kong Cantonese]  ―  siu2 din1 [Jyutping]  ―  somewhat crazy
    Antonym: 大 (daai6)
    Alternative form: 小 (siu2)
  11. 5th tetragram of the Taixuanjing (𝌊)
Synonyms
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Dialectal synonyms of 少 (“few; little in number”) [map]
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 少
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 少
Northeastern Mandarin Beijing 少
Taiwan 少
Jilu Mandarin Jinan 少
Central Plains Mandarin Xi'an 少
Southwestern Mandarin Chengdu 少
Wuhan 少
Jianghuai Mandarin 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
Northern Min Jian'ou 少
Eastern Min Fuzhou 少
Southern Min Xiamen 少
Jinjiang 少
Manila (Hokkien) 少
Chaozhou 少
Puning 減, 少
Wu Suzhou 少
Ningbo 缺
Wenzhou 少
Xiang Changsha 少
Shuangfeng 少
Dialectal synonyms of 缺 (“to be short of”) [map]
Variety Location Words
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 缺, 少
Northeastern Mandarin Taiwan 少
Singapore 差, 少
Cantonese Hong Kong 爭
Southern Min Taipei 減 GT
Singapore (Hokkien) 減
Note GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)
Antonyms
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  • (antonym(s) of “few”): 多 (duō)

Compounds

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Pronunciation 2

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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/
Bernhard
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

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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
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Dialectal synonyms of 年輕 (“young”) [map]
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 少
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 年輕
Northeastern Mandarin Beijing 年輕
Taiwan 年輕
Malaysia 年輕
Singapore 年輕
Jilu Mandarin Jinan 年輕
Central Plains Mandarin Luoyang 年輕
Xi'an 年輕
Southwestern Mandarin Chengdu 年輕
Wuhan 年輕
Liuzhou 後生
Jianghuai Mandarin Yangzhou 年輕
Hefei 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, Xiangzhou) 後生
Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; 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
Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) 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
Northern Min Jian'ou 後生
Jianyang 後生
Pucheng (Shibei) 後生
Eastern Min Fuzhou 後生
Fuqing 後生
Matsu 後生, 年輕
Singapore (Fuqing) 年輕
Southern Min Xiamen 少年
Xiamen (Tong'an) 少年
Quanzhou 少年
Zhangzhou 少年
Zhao'an 後生
Taipei 少年, 細漢
New Taipei (Sanxia) 細漢
Kaohsiung 少年, 細漢
Yilan 少年, 細漢
Changhua (Lukang) 少年, 細漢
Taichung 少年, 細漢
Taichung (Wuqi) 少年
Tainan 少年, 細漢
Taitung 少年
Hsinchu 少年, 細漢
Kinmen 少年, 細漢
Penghu (Magong) 少年, 細漢
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
Puxian Min Putian 後生
Putian (Donghai, Chengxiang) 後生
Putian (Jiangkou, Hanjiang) 後生
Putian (Nanri, Xiuyu) 後生
Xianyou 後生
Xianyou (Fengting) 後生
Xianyou (Youyang) 後生
Zhongshan Min Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) 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

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References

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Japanese

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Kanji

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少

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

  1. a little

Readings

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Compounds

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Compounds

Korean

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Etymology

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Middle Korean readings, if any”)

Pronunciation

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  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [sʰo̞(ː)]
  • Phonetic hangul: [소(ː)]
    • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Hanja

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Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

Wikisource

少 (eumhun 적을 소 (jeogeul so))

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

Compounds

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Vietnamese

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Han character

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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

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  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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