稀少
xī shǎo · HSK 7
sparse
🏜️ 稀少 = 稀 sparse/thin + 少 few — two near-synonyms stacked to mean scarce
稀 (xī) means thin or sparsely scattered, and 少 (shǎo) means few or little. Chinese often pairs two similar characters for emphasis, so 稀少 doubles down on the idea of something being scarce or in short supply.
稀 — grain 禾 + rare/scattered 希
A phono-semantic compound: 禾 (grain) gives the meaning, while 希 (rare, scattered) supplies the sound and reinforces the sense. Originally described thinly scattered grain in a field, then extended generally to mean 'sparse,' 'thin,' or 'rare.'
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.