少年
shàonián · HSK 2
youth
👦 少 (few/young) + 年 (years) = few-years person = youth
少 means few or young; 年 means year. Together: someone with few years behind them, a boy aged roughly 10-16. Compare 青年 (young adult) and 中年 (middle-aged) — same 年 slot, different age bracket.
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.
年 — grain 禾 over person 人 (oracle bone)
Originally a pictograph of a person carrying a bundle of harvested grain on their back, representing the yearly grain harvest. Because harvests came once a year, the character shifted from meaning 'harvest' to meaning 'year.' The modern form 年 obscures the original 禾 (grain) + 人 (person) structure.