少ない
すくない · sukunai · JLPT N5 · i-adj
a few
🤏 少 = small 小 + a slash ノ: something small cut down further → few
Sound hook: sukunai ≈ scoop? nah, I only got a few. The kanji 少 is 小 (small) with an extra stroke slicing away even more, so the amount left is scant. The ending ない also echoes the Japanese word for 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.