少量 (shǎo liàng) — a small amount, a little bit, a few | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

少量 modifies a noun directly ('a small amount of X'), more formal/written than 一点儿 ('a bit'). Use 稍微 for modifying verbs or adjectives, not 少量.

adjective

a small amounta little bita few

Examples

少量。
Wǒ zhī xū yào jiā shǎo liàng táng.
I only need to add a small amount of sugar.
少量。
Tā měi tiān zhī shuì shǎo liàng shí jiān.
He only sleeps a little bit each day.
少量。
Zhè cì huó dòng zhǐ yǒu shǎo liàng rén cān jiā.
Only a few people attended this event.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

量liángamount

The word means a small amount by combining 少, small or few, and 量, amount.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 少 is drawn as four dots, perhaps three grains of sand, to indicate a few or a little.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

日日rìsun
東東dōngbag; east

量 has 日 (sun) over 東 (bag; east). Some explanations suggest measuring under the sun or the sun rising in the east, but the exact origin is unclear.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 4 Quantity & Amount

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