ε°‘

JLPT N4

Few, little

Readings

On’yomi: ショウ (shou)
Kun’yomi: すこ(し), すく(γͺい) (suko(shi), suku(nai))
β€’ すく.γͺい (sukunai) – few, scarce, little β€’ すこ.し (sukoshi) – a little, slightly

Vocabulary

少し
すこし
a little
ε°‘εΉ΄
しょうねん
boy
ε°‘ε₯³
γ—γ‚‡γ†γ˜γ‚‡
girl
ζΈ›ε°‘
げんしょう
decrease
ε°‘ζ•°
しょうすう
minority

Example Sentences

少し休みます。
すこし やすみます。
I rest a little.
δΊΊζ•°γŒε°‘γͺいです。
γ«γ‚“γšγ† が すくγͺい です。
There are few people.

Cultural Note

✨ ε°‘ reflects the Japanese sensitivity to quantity, moderation, and precision.
β€’ In daily life, people often emphasize 少しだけ (just a little) to be polite and considerate.
β€’ Words like ε€šε°‘ and ε°‘ζ•° show the cultural importance of estimating amounts and acknowledging scarcity or minority.
β€’ The kanji also conveys a sense of humility and restraint, which is highly valued in Japanese social norms.