少

shǎo

HSK 1

Meaning

数量小，缺乏；表示数量不多或不够。

Few, little, lack; indicating a small quantity or insufficiency.

可作形容词表示数量小，也可作动词表示缺少。常用于比较或描述不足。

Can be used as an adjective to mean a small quantity, or as a verb to indicate lack. Often used in comparisons or to describe insufficiency.

1 我少了一本书，不知道放哪里了。 (I am missing a book; I don't know where I put it.)
2 这里人很少，很安静。 (There are very few people here; it's very quiet.)
3 少说多做，才能成功。 (Talk less and do more to achieve success.)
4 少安勿躁，事情很快就能解决。 (Be patient and don't worry; things will be resolved soon.)
5 我们缺少时间，得抓紧。 (We are short on time; we need to hurry.)
6 这个月的水费少了，因为用水量减少了。 (The water bill this month is lower because the water usage decreased.)
7 他很少迟到，今天是个例外。 (He rarely arrives late; today is an exception.)

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