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Choosing Mnemonics

Pick the mnemonic story that sticks best for you by clicking its ☆ — there's no wrong choice, and you'll be able to write your own soon. Then press Continue.

shǎo = sh + ao3
few / less / to lack / to be missing / to stop (doing sth) / seldom
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shào = sh + ao4
young
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How to pronounce 少

MandarinBanana teaches pronunciation with the Marilyn Method: every Pinyin syllable is one initial plus one final, the initial becomes a person, an animal or a deity, and the final becomes a place in your memory palace — with the tone deciding which part of that place the scene happens in. Remember the little story below for each half and the whole syllable comes back with them.

= sh initial

Sh is for Sherlock Holmes.

By Matthias • updated about 1 month ago
+ ao3 final

In the aorta’s living room.

By Matthias • updated 5 months ago
= sh initial

Sh is for Sherlock Holmes.

By Matthias • updated about 1 month ago
+ ao4 final

In the aorta’s bathroom.

By Matthias • updated 5 months ago

少 character breakdown

Chinese characters are built out of smaller characters. Each component carries a mnemonic symbol - one concrete object that stands in for it - and a mnemonic story hands those objects to the person and the place that stand for the pronunciation. Learn a component once and every character that reuses it gets easier.

Component Translations
丿
piě = pi + e3
radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 4) / see 撇[pie3]
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xiǎo = xi + ao3
small / tiny / few / young
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Characters with 少 as component

xǐng = xi + (e)ng3
to inspect / to examine / to be aware / to pay a visit (to one's parents or elders)
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to save / to economize / to do without / to omit / to leave out / province / (archaic) central government department
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chǎo = ch + ao3
to quarrel / to make a noise / noisy / to disturb by making a noise
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Words with 少

show 118 more
number / amount / somewhat
how much? / how many? / (phone number, student ID etc) what number?
at least / (to say the) least

Sentences with 少

zhǐ
yīn
shǒu
zhōng
quē
shǎo
chèn
shǒu
de
bīng

Want to remember 少 for good?

Make it your learning target and MandarinBanana works out the shortest route to it: the two sounds its syllable is built from, then the components of the character itself, one short step at a time. No account needed to start.

shǎo / shào

2 translations

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