Chinese word

极少数

Pronunciation

Pinyinjí shǎo shù

Meaning

  • nounvery small number

Example

极少数人知道这件事。jí shǎo shù rén zhī dào zhè jiàn shì

Only a very small number of people know about this.

Illustration for 极少数 (very small number)

More examples

只有极少数人能够完成这种高难度的任务。zhí yǒu jí shǎo shù rén néng gòu wán chéng zhè zhǒng gāo nán dù de rèn wù

Only a very small number of people can complete this highly challenging task.

Core concept

A tiny minority standing out from the whole, with so few members that it forms only a sliver of the total.

Common phrases

  • 只有极少数人zhí yǒu jí shǎo shù rén

    only a very small number of people

  • 极少数地区jí shǎo shù dì qū

    a very small number of regions

Similar words

少数shǎo shù: A limited number of people or things in a whole.
少数派shǎo shù pài: The smaller group among the members of a larger group.

Definition in Chinese

数量极小的少数群体或个体，指在整体中所占比例非常低的人或事物。shù liàng jí xiǎo de shǎo shù qún tǐ huò gè tǐ zhǐ zài zhéng tǐ zhōng suǒ zhàn bǐ lì fēi cháng dī de rén huò shì wù

Word origin

极 (jí, "extreme") + 少数 (shǎoshù, "small number") combines an extreme degree with a small set to mean a number that is exceptionally low.

Usage tips

  • In conversational Chinese, this noun phrase sounds more formal and statistical than ordinary everyday quantity wording, so it is especially natural in reports, explanations, and careful statements.

Other meanings

  • small fractionnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word