Chinese word

稀

Pronunciation

Pinyinxī

Meaning

  • adjectivesparse

Example

这儿人稀，很安静。zhèr rén xī hěn ān jìng

There are few people here, so it is very quiet.

Illustration for 稀 (sparse)

More examples

这个地区矿产资源稀缺，开发受限。zhè ge dì qū kuàng chǎn zī yuán xī quē kāi fā shòu xiàn

Mineral resources in this area are scarce, so development is limited.

Core concept

A thin scattering across an area, with noticeable gaps between people or things.

Common phrases

  • 资源稀缺zī yuán xī quē

    scarce resources

  • 机会稀少jī huì xī shǎo

    few opportunities

Similar words

少shǎo: Describes having little of something or not many of something.
罕见hǎn jiàn: Describes something uncommon that people seldom see.
稀有xī yǒu: Describes something scarce that seldom occurs or is found.

Definition in Chinese

数量很少，分布不密集，显得稀疏。shù liàng hén shǎo fēn bù bú mì jí xiǎn de xī shū

Word origin

稀 (xī, "sparse") combines 禾 (hé, "grain"), which indicates the semantic field, with 希 (xī, "hope"), which provides the pronunciation.

Usage tips

  • For everyday speaking, this word works best when the arrangement of people or things matters, rather than when a speaker is only reporting a count.

Other meanings

  • fewadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 稀缺xī quēscarceadjective
  • 稀有xī yǒurareadjective

Word lists with this word