小 small / tiny / few / young 两 two / both / some / a few / tael, unit of weight equal to 50 grams (modern) or 1⁄16 of a catty 斤[jin1] (old) 几 how much / how many / several / a few 少 few / less / to lack / to be missing / to stop (doing sth) / seldom 一 些 yī xiē some / a few / a little / (following an adjective) slightly ...er 几 个 jǐ ge a few / several / how many 少 数 shǎo shù small number / few / minority 少 量 shǎo liàng a smidgen / a little bit / a few 少 许 shǎo xǔ a little / a few 一 二 yī èr one or two / a few / a little / just a bit 些 许 xiē xǔ a few / a little / a bit 前 些 qián xiē a few (days, years etc) ago 寡 few / scant / widowed 啲 some / few / a little (Cantonese) 尐 (literary) few / a couple of 不 少 bù shǎo many / a lot / not few 近 日 jìn rì (in) the past few days / recently / (within) the next few days 日 前 rì qián the other day / a few days ago 近 年 来 jìn nián lái for the past few years 几 年 jǐ nián a few years / several years / how many years 好 几 hǎo jǐ several / quite a few 这 几 天 zhè jǐ tiān the past few days 几 个 月 jǐ ge yuè several months / the last few months 两 句 liǎng jù (say) a few words 前 几 天 qián jǐ tiān a few days ago / a few days before / the past few days / the previous few days 极 少 jí shǎo very little / very few 日 内 rì nèi in a few days / one of these days 极 少 数 jí shǎo shù extremely few / a small minority 几 许 jǐ xǔ (literary) how many / quite a few 鲜 为 人 知 xiǎn wéi rén zhī rarely known to anyone (idiom) / almost unknown / secret to all but a few 寥 寥 liáo liáo very few 最 近 几 年 zuì jìn jǐ nián the last few years / last several years / recent years 几 天 来 jǐ tiān lái for the past few days 寥 寥 无 几 liáo liáo wú jǐ just a very few (idiom) / tiny number / not many at all / You count them on your fingers. 屈 指 可 数 qū zhǐ kě shǔ can be counted on one's fingers (idiom) / very few 即 日 jí rì this or that very day / in the next few days 末 梢 mò shāo tip / end / last few days 不 日 bù rì within the next few days / in a few days time 点 破 diǎn pò to lay bare in a few words / to expose with a word / to point out bluntly 畅 饮 chàng yǐn to have a few drinks / to drink to one's heart's content 过 少 guò shǎo too few / insufficient 凤 毛 麟 角 fèng máo lín jiǎo lit. as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns (idiom) / fig. few and far between 画 龙 点 睛 huà lóng diǎn jīng to paint a dragon and dot in the eyes (idiom) / fig. to add the vital finishing touch / the crucial point that brings the subject to life / a few words to clinch the point 些 classifier indicating a small amount or small number greater than 1: some, a few, several 润 色 rùn sè to polish (a piece of writing) / to add a few finishing touches to (a piece of writing, painting etc) 隔 三 差 五 gé sān chà wǔ every few days (idiom) 寡 不 敌 众 guǎ bù dí zhòng the few are no match for the many / heavily outnumbered / facing impossible odds (idiom) 寥 落 liáo luò sparse / few and far between 曲 高 和 寡 qǔ gāo hè guǎ difficult songs find few singers (idiom) / highbrow 硕 果 仅 存 shuò guǒ jǐn cún only remaining of the great (idiom) / one of the few greats extant 以 少 胜 多 yǐ shǎo shèng duō using the few to defeat the many (idiom) / to win from a position of weakness 敌 众 我 寡 dí zhòng wǒ guǎ multitude of enemies, few friends (idiom from Mencius) / heavily outnumbered / beaten by the weight of numbers 颠 来 倒 去 diān lái dǎo qù to harp on / over and over / merely ring changes on a few terms 寥 若 晨 星 liáo ruò chén xīng rare as morning stars (idiom) / few and far between / sparse 众 寡 悬 殊 zhòng guǎ xuán shū the multitude against the few, a wide disparity (idiom from Mencius) / heavily outnumbered / unequally matched / overwhelmed by weight of numbers 寥 empty / lonesome / very few 一 言 难 尽 yī yán nán jìn hard to explain in a few words (idiom) / complicated and not easy to express succinctly 三 言 两 语 sān yán liǎng yǔ in a few words (idiom) / expressed succinctly 只 言 片 语 zhǐ yán piàn yǔ just a word or two (idiom) / a few isolated phrases 三 言 两 句 sān yán liǎng jù in a few words (idiom) / expressed succinctly 寥 寥 可 数 liáo liáo kě shǔ just a very few (idiom) / tiny number / just a handful / not many at all / You count them on your fingers. 杯 酒 解 怨 bēi jiǔ jiě yuàn a wine cup dissolves complaints (idiom) / a few drinks can ease social interaction 杯 酒 言 欢 bēi jiǔ yán huān a few drinks and a nice conversation (idiom) 水 至 清 则 无 鱼 shuǐ zhì qīng zé wú yú Water that is too clear has few fish, and one who is too critical has few friends (idiom) / You cannot expect everyone to be squeaky clean. / Don't be too picky! 点 睛 之 笔 diǎn jīng zhī bǐ the brush stroke that dots in the eyes (idiom) / fig. to add the vital finishing touch / the crucial point that brings the subject to life / a few words to clinch the point 小 小 xiǎo xiǎo very small / very few / very minor 飘 飘 然 piāo piāo rán elated / light and airy feeling (after a few drinks) / smug and conceited / complacent 尟 few / rare 只 不 过 几 年 前 zhǐ bù guò jǐ nián qián only a few years ago / just a few years ago 三 脚 两 步 sān jiǎo liǎng bù hurriedly / just a few steps away 少 之 又 少 shǎo zhī yòu shǎo very few / very little 少 突 胶 质 shǎo tū jiāo zhì oligodendrocytes (Greek: cells with few branches), a type of cell in central nervous system / oligodendroglia 少 说 为 佳 shǎo shuō wéi jiā Few words are best. / Brevity is the soul of wit. 数 不 多 shù bù duō a small number / one of a very few 月 杪 yuè miǎo last few days of the month 疏 水 箪 瓢 shū shuǐ dān piáo little water and few utensils / to live a frugal life (idiom) 自 奉 甚 俭 zì fèng shèn jiǎn to allow oneself few comforts or pleasures (idiom) 众 寡 zhòng guǎ the many or the few 点 穿 diǎn chuān to lay bare in a few words / to expose with a word 日 来 rì lái in the past few days / lately 鲜 少 xiǎn shǎo very few / rarely 穷 家 薄 业 qióng jiā bó yè poor and with few means of subsistance (idiom) / destitute 千 里 马 常 有 ， 而 伯 乐 不 常 有 qiān lǐ mǎ cháng yǒu , ér Bó Lè bù cháng yǒu lit. there are many swift horses, but very few who can spot them (idiom) / fig. many have talent, but few can recognize talent when they see it 秒 射 miǎo shè to ejaculate within a few seconds during sex
xiǎo
