The Chinese Radical: 少


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Meaning
few, little    少

Explanation

Used in these characters:
少
JLPT HSK 1
few, little
shǎo, shào
少 小 ノ
Top: small 小 (A person 亅 with the arms 八 close to the body is small), bottom: extra stroke ノ
Such a small stroke is too few.  
步
JLPT HSK 2
walk, a pace, a step, march
bù
步 止 少
Top: stop 止 (image of a right foot that stops at a line 一 ), bottom: Variant of little 少 (traditionally: the sign for right foot, similar to 少: put one foot in front of the other)
Stop a little when: walking.  
沙
JLPT HSK 4
granule, sand, powder, hoarse, raspy
shā
氵 少
Left: water 氵, right: few, little 少 (A small 小 stroke ノ is too few)
(In the past, water was never fully pure:) In the water is a little sand.  
省
JLPT HSK 4
to economize, to save, introspection, awareness, province
shěng, xǐng
少 目
Top: few/little 少 (A small 小 stroke ノ is too few), below: eye 目
(No big wishes) If only few (things) come into your eyes, you economize and practice introspective awareness.  
秒
JLPT HSK 4
second (of time)
miǎo
禾 少
Left rice plant 禾, right: few/little 少 (A small 小 stroke ノ is too few)
(To plant:) a rice plant you need as little as one second.  
妙
JLPT HSK 5
clever, wonderful, splendid, fantastic
miào
女 少
Left: woman 女, right: few/little 少 (A small 小 stroke ノ is too few)
Among women, there are few who are clever and wonderful???  
劣
JLPT HSK 5
inferior, clumsy, low-grade
liè
少 力
Top: small/little 少 (A small 小 stroke ノ is too few.), below: strength 力
Too little strength makes you inferior.  
吵
JLPT HSK 5
to quarrel, to make a noise, disturbing
chǎo
口 少
Left: mouth 口, right: few/little 少 (A small 小 stroke ノ is too few.)
With your mouth you can make a little quarrel and noise.  
抄
JLPT HSK 5
to make a copy, to plagiarize, to raid, to grab
chāo
扌 少
Left: hand 扌, right: little 少
If your (own) hand only does a little, you are copying.  
炒
JLPT HSK 5
to fry shortly, sauté, pan-fry, fried
chǎo
火 少
Left: fire 火, right: few, little 少 (A small 小 stroke ノ is too few)
If the fire is only a little, it is fried shortly.  
雀
JLPT HSK 6
sparrow, (=small bird), a freckle, lentigo
qiāo, qiǎo, què
小 隹 少
Top: small 小, bottom: bird 隹
The small bird is a sparrow.  
钞
JLPT HSK 6
paper money, banknote, dollar bill, to copy
chāo
金 少
Left: metal, gold, money 钅/金, right: few/little 少 (A small 小 stroke ノ is too few)
(In terms of weight) The money becomes less: as paper money.  
渺
JLPT HSK 6
distant and indistinct, vast, tiny (due to distance)
miǎo
氵 目 少
Left: water 氵, right: 眇 (variation of economize 省 - If only few 少 (things) come into your eyes 目, you economize and practice introspective awareness.)
The water should be economized, if you are still far distant.  
砂
JLPT no HSK
sand, gravel, granule
shā
石 少
Left: stone 石, right: few/little 少 (A small 小 stroke ノ is too few.)
If stones are made "fewer", you get sand.  
纱
JLPT no HSK
cotton yarn, muslin, gauze
shā
糸 少
Left: thread 纟/糸, right: few, little 少 (A small 小 stroke ノ is too few.)
If the threads are few, it is a yarn or a loose gauze.  
莎
JLPT no HSK
kind of sedge grass
shā, suō
艹 氵 少
Left: growing plant 艹, right: sand, gravel 沙 (In [unclear] water 氵is always a little 少 sand.)
A plant for sandy (grounds) is this: sedge grass.  
鲨
JLPT no HSK
shark
shā
氵 少 魚
Top: sand, gravel 沙 (in [unclear] water 氵is always a little 少 sand), bottom: fish 鱼/魚
In sandy water is this fish: the shark.  

Radicals are shown here that are similar either in appearance or meaning.

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