不少
bùshǎo · HSK 2
a lot of
不 (not) + 少 (few) = literally 'not few' = a lot
Chinese often expresses 'many' via double negative: 不 negates 少 (few/little), so 不少 means 'not few' = quite a lot. Compare English 'not a little' meaning 'plenty'.
不 — single pictograph; bird flying upward
Originally a pictograph in oracle bone script, traditionally interpreted as a bird flying up toward the sky and unable to come down, suggesting negation or refusal. Over time it became the standard negation word in Chinese, used before verbs and adjectives to mean 'not'.
少 — 小 (small) + 丿 (slash stroke)
Originally a pictograph showing four small dots or grains, suggesting 'few' or 'small in quantity'. Over time it became distinguished from 小 (small) by adding a downward stroke. The core meaning shifted toward 'few' or 'little in number', while 小 kept the sense of physical smallness.