尠 (xiǎn) - Few & scarce

尠Tone 3

xiǎn ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

尠 · xiǎn

Few;

scarce;

rare;

insufficient;

not enough.

Fewscarcerare

Usage highlights

Very fewRarely speakScarce and fewExtremely rareInsufficient talentRarely seen

Synonyms

  • 少— few; little
  • 稀— rare; scarce
  • 寡— few; scant

Antonyms

  • 多— many; much
  • 繁— numerous; abundant
  • 众— many; numerous

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • There are very few such examples (尠有例子).
  • He rarely speaks (他尠言).
  • Opportunities are scarce (机会尠少).
  • This is an extremely rare occurrence (尠见之事).

Collocations

  • Very few(尠有)
  • Rarely speak(尠言)
  • Scarce and few(尠少)
  • Extremely rare(尠见)
  • Insufficient talent(尠才)
  • Rarely seen(尠闻)

Idioms

  • Very few people know about it(知者尠矣)
  • Rarely seen and seldom heard(尠见寡闻)
  • Few and far between(尠有其匹)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • This character is considered a literary or classical Chinese character, not commonly used in modern vernacular.
  • It often appears in classical texts and formal writing to express scarcity or rarity.
  • The character structure combines 甚 (very) and 少 (few) to reinforce the meaning of 'very few'.

FAQ