寡

guǎ

adjective #16,850

Meanings

Zhè dào cài wèidào tài guǎ le.

This dish tastes too bland.

Guǎ bù dí zhòng, wǒmen bìxū chètuì.

We're outnumbered and must retreat.

usage

寡 often appears in literary or formal contexts. In everyday speech, 少 is far more common for 'few'. 寡 carries a sense of isolation or insufficiency.

memory

The character has 宀 (roof) over 頁 — picture a widow alone under a roof, with few people around.

寡 guǎ