Chinese word

少量

Pronunciation

Pinyinshǎo liàng

Meaning

  • nounsmall amount

Example

请只加少量盐。qǐng zhǐ jiā shǎo liàng yán

Please add only a small amount of salt.

Illustration for 少量 (small amount)

More examples

这种清洁剂只需少量使用就能去污。zhè zhǒng qīng jié jì zhǐ xū shǎo liàng shǐ yòng jiù néng qù wū

Only a small amount of this cleaner is needed to remove dirt.

Core concept

A quantity kept close to the lower limit without disappearing completely.

Common phrases

  • 少量使用shǎo liàng shǐ yòng

    use a small amount

  • 少量加入shǎo liàng jiā rù

    add a small amount

Similar words

一点儿yì diǎnr: A little used in relaxed, everyday conversation.
微量wēi liàng: An extremely tiny amount, especially in medical or chemical settings.
少许sháo xǔ: A small quantity that commonly appears in written language.

Definition in Chinese

非常小的数量，接近于可以忽略但仍可察觉的分量。fēi cháng xiǎo de shù liàng jiē jìn yú ké yǐ hū lüè dàn réng kě chá jué de fèn liàng

Word origin

The compound 少量 (shǎoliàng, "small amount") joins 少 (shǎo, "few or little") with 量 (liàng, "quantity"), making the idea of a very limited quantity transparent.

Usage tips

  • In recipes and product directions, this word can describe an ingredient without naming a unit, so the surrounding context determines the actual size.

Other meanings

  • a littleadverb
  • tracenoun
  • slightadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word