■ radical

shǎo

few

How it’s built

Pictograph of four small dots, representing grains of sand or rice, to convey the meaning "less". Similar to 小.

Through the ages

Oracle bone script

Bronze script

Seal script

Appears in

Characters that use 少 as a component, most common first.

省shěngprovince 沙shāsand 妙miàomysterious 劣lièlow-quality 秒miǎoa second 吵chǎoto argue 抄chāocopy 纱shāgauze 炒chǎoto boil 钞chāobank note 紗shāgauze 鈔chāobank note

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