han2 siu2很少
Jyutpinghan2 siu2
Yalehán síu
Definition
Seldom; rarely; very little or few.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use 好少 instead of 很少 in spoken contexts. The character 少 is pronounced as siu2, but when used to mean rarely, it functions as an adverbial modifier for verbs or adjectives. It carries a sense of infrequency that feels more natural than the more formal 很少.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using 很少 in spoken Cantonese as it sounds like a direct translation from Mandarin. Always prefer 好少 to sound natural.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
