hou2 siu2好少
Jyutpinghou2 siu2
Yalehóu síu
Definition
Rarely, seldom, or very infrequently.
colloquialdaily actionstime
How it's used
Use this to describe the low frequency of an action or state. It functions similarly to the English adverb rarely, but it is much more common in daily speech than formal equivalents. It often implies that the speaker is surprised or notes a deviation from a typical habit.
Examples
He rarely eats at home.
Do you rarely go to the library?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 少, which means a small amount or few. When you want to say you have very little of something, use 冇乜 instead of 好少.
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.
