Onyomi: ショウ · Kunyomi: すく.ない, すこ.し · Meanings: few, little
Kanji for few, little
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Find visually similar kanji, commonly confused characters, related meanings, and useful words connected to 少.
The kanji 少 depicts small strokes above a base, symbolizing a small amount or few in number. In ancient times, it represented scarcity or something minimal. 少 came to mean few, little, or small, capturing the idea of limited quantity or size.
Tiny strokes above a base — 少 means few, little, or small.
Imagine only a few drops or tiny marks — that’s 少, the kanji for small or few.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 少 | しょう | small, little, few | common Prefix |
| 少年 | しょうねん | boy | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 少女 | しょうじょ | girl (usu. between 7 and 17), young lady | common JLPT-N3 JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 少し | すこし | a little, a bit, a small amount, a few, some, slightly, somewhat | common JLPT-N5 Adverb (fukushi) |
| 少ない | すくない | few, little, small (amount), low, scarce, insufficient, seldom, rare | common JLPT-N5 I-adjective (keiyoushi) |
| 少々 | しょうしょう | a little, a bit, a small amount, a few, a pinch, some | common JLPT-N3 Adverb (fukushi), Noun |
| 少しも | すこしも | (not) at all, (not) a bit, (not) in the least, (not) in the slightest | common JLPT-N3 Adverb (fukushi) |
| 少なくとも | すくなくとも | at least | common JLPT-N2 JLPT-N1 Adverb (fukushi) |
| 少数 | しょうすう | small number, few, minority | common JLPT-N1 Noun, Adverb (fukushi), Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |
| 少佐 | しょうさ | major, lieutenant commander, wing commander | common Noun |