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N4 · 4 strokes · — · Irodori #143 · Elementary 1 L5
少
few, little
Stroke diagrams © KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Readings
- On’yomi
- ショウ
- Kun’yomi
- すく・ない、すこ・し
Example words
少
すく・ない
few
少
ショウ
Typical reading practice — few
Memory aids
Guided learn session →How to remember
Shape
Small (小) with a slashing stroke — something diminished; few.
Components
Remember "few" (少) by connecting it to its Irodori vocabulary context.
Anchor word
少ない (すくない) — your first meeting with this kanji in Irodori.
Readings
First learned in 少ない (すくない) — recall the word to unlock the reading. Kun'yomi: すく・ない、すこ・し — often used in native Japanese words (like 少ない). On'yomi: ショウ — common in compound words (熟語).