少数

少數
shǎoshù
noun HSK 2 #6,704

Meanings

  1. 1 minority
  2. 2 small number

Examples

Zhǐ yǒu shǎoshù rén bù tóngyì.
Only a minority of people disagree.
Zhōngguó yǒu wǔshíliù ge shǎoshù mínzú.
China has 56 ethnic minorities.
Zhè zhǒng qíngkuàng shì shǎoshù.
This situation is rare.

Tips

culture
少数民族 (shǎoshù mínzú, ethnic minorities) is an important concept in China. There are 56 recognized ethnic groups, with Han being the majority and 55 minority groups.
usage
少数 is the opposite of 多数 (duōshù, majority). The principle 少数服从多数 means 'the minority follows the majority.'

Stroke Order

shǎo
shù