少(shǎo)

HSK 14 strokes
Readingsshǎoshào

few

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Stroke order animation

Character information

Pinyin
shǎo / shào
Meaning
few; less; to lack; to be missing; to stop (doing sth); seldom
Strokes
4
HSK level
HSK 1
Traditional
Same

Origin & structure

Where 少 comes from and how its parts fit together.

Pictograph⿱小丿

Grains of sand; 小 provides the pronunciation and meaning

A drawing of the thing it names.

Made of

小xiǎo丿piě

Parts are arranged top to bottom.

How to write 少 step by step

4 strokes — each frame adds one stroke, shown in dark ink over the lighter ones.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4

Words with 少

Common words using 少 — tap any character to open its stroke-order page.

duō多shǎo少
HSK 1

number; amount; somewhat

Open 多少 page →
bù不shǎo少
HSK 2

many; a lot; not few

Open 不少 page →
shào少ér儿
HSK 6

child

Open 少儿 page →
shǎo少bù不liǎo了
HSK 7-9

cannot do without

Open 少不了 page →
shào少nǚ女
HSK 7-9

girl

Open 少女 page →
shǎo少lái来

refrain (from doing sth); (coll.) Come on!; Give me a break!; Save it!

Open 少来 page →
ào傲màn慢shǎo少lǐ礼

see 傲慢无礼

Open 傲慢少礼 page →
sēng僧duō多zhōu粥shǎo少

lit. many monks and not much gruel (idiom)

Open 僧多粥少 page →

Related characters

More HSK 1 characters

一七三上下不东两

From 少’s common words

多不儿了女来傲慢

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