少
few · little
Details
Stroke Order
Component Breakdown
small + 丿
Cultural Context
Etymology
Shape of '小' with one additional stroke. Having just a little.
Symbolism
Rarity, youth, modesty. Aesthetic of 'a little is enough'.
Anime & Manga
少年ジャンプ作品
Shonen Jump Works(1968)
Many masterpieces from manga magazine for 'boys.' Collective term for Jump works.
View on Amazon →Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
希少価値
きしょうかち
scarcity value; rarity value; preciousness; scarcity value
少壮気鋭
しょうそうきえい
young and energetic; up-and-coming; young and energetic
老少不定
ろうしょうふてい
death comes to old and young alike; uncertainty of life; death comes to old and young alike
少数精鋭
しょうすうせいえい
elect (select) few; elect (select) few
少産少死
しょうさんしょうし
low birth rate and low mortality rate; low birth rate and low mortality rate
Proverbs & Idioms
少年よ大志を抱け
しょうねんよたいしをいだけ
Boys, be ambitious
Young people should have big dreams
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 少 mean in Japanese?
少 means few, little.
How do you read 少?
On'yomi: ショウ (SHOU). Kun'yomi: すく.ない、すこ.し (sukunai, sukoshi).
How many strokes does 少 have?
少 has 4 strokes. Its radical is 小 (small).
Is 少 a good kanji for a tattoo?
Yes. 少 (few, little) has a clear positive meaning and no embarrassing alternate readings, making it a solid tattoo choice.
Explore by meaning:kanji for few · kanji for little