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所剩无几 (suǒ shèng wú jǐ) — (set phrase) very little remains, there is not much left

Definition

A set phrase (roughly 'what's left is almost nothing') for things, time, or money running very low. More literary than saying 剩下很少.

verb
(set phrase) very little remainsthere is not much left

Examples

  • 所剩无几，。
    Tā jiā de shí wù yǐ jīng suǒ shèng wú jǐ, bì xū mǎ shàng qù mǎi.
    The food at his house is almost gone; they must go buy some immediately.
  • 所剩无几，。
    Kǎo shì shí jiān suǒ shèng wú jǐ, nǐ yào zhuā jǐn zuò zuì hòu yí dào tí.
    The exam time is running out, you need to hurry up and do the last question.
  • ，所剩无几。
    Jīng guò yì nián de dà guī mó cǎi gòu, kù cún yǐ jīng suǒ shèng wú jǐ.
    After a year of large-scale procurement, the inventory is almost depleted.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

所剩what remains
所suǒthat which剩shèngremain
主谓Subject + predicate
无几not many
无wúnot have几jǐfew
动宾Verb + object

所剩 points to what remains, and 无几 says there is little of it.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīnaxe
Sound part声符shēngfú
戶
戶hù所suǒ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

所 pairs 斤, an axe, with 戶, which gives the sound hù; the old meaning was the sound of logging.

Open 所 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刀刀dāo
Sound part声符shēngfú
乘
乘chéng剩shèng
Same sound today

剩 is made of 刀 (knife) as the meaning part and 乘 (chéng) as the sound part.

Open 剩 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 幾; 几 is its simplified writing.

  • 𢆶𢆶𢆶silk threads; little things
  • 戍戍shùto guard against

The traditional form 幾 puts 𢆶 (silk threads; little things) and 戍 (to guard against) together to show watching over the fine details; the simplified 几 is a later abbreviation.

Open 几 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesQuantity & Amount

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