少ない（すくない、sukunai）
- few / little

The Japanese word 少ない means "few," "little," "scarce," or "not much." It describes a small quantity or number of something. It is an adjective that describes nouns. It implies that there isn't a large amount or many items available. The degree of "few" or "little" can vary depending on context.

⚫︎お金が少ない Translation: There is little money. ⚫︎少ない人しか来なかった。 Translation: Only a few people came. ⚫︎少ないチャンスを活かす Translation: Utilize the few chances.

⚫︎少ない is used to describe the quantity or number of something. ⚫︎It is typically placed before the noun it modifies. For example: 少ない時間 (little time). ⚫︎It can also be used with verbs, often implying a lack of something or an infrequent occurrence. ⚫︎Be mindful of the context. For instance, 少ない水 (little water) could imply a scarcity of water, while 少ない努力 (little effort) could mean someone didn't try very hard.

⚫︎The base form is written in hiragana as すくない. ⚫︎The kanji form is 少ない. ⚫︎The okurigana (送りがな) - the hiragana suffix - remains consistent: 少ない. ⚫︎The conjugations will change to match the tense. ⚫︎ Examples of conjugations: ⚫︎ 少なかった (sukunakatta) - was few/little. ⚫︎ 少なく (sukunaku) - less (adverbial form). ⚫︎ 少なくない (sukunakunai) - not few/not little (a double negative; often means "many" or "a lot"). ⚫︎ 少ないです (sukunai desu) - is few/is little (polite form).

⚫︎ 少し(sukoshi) - a little bit, a few. (This can sometimes be used in place of 少ない, but is often used in the context of "a small amount", and is not an adjective.) ⚫︎ わずか(wazuka) - only, a little, a few. ⚫︎ 僅か(wazuka) - the kanji form of わずか ⚫︎ 僅少(kinshou) - a small amount, a few (formal).

⚫︎ 多い(ooi) - many, much. ⚫︎ たくさん(takusan) - many, a lot.

この店にはお客さんが少ない。 ・Translation: There are few customers in this shop. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 少ない to describe the number of customers.

彼女は日本語を話す機会が少ない。 ・Translation: She has few opportunities to speak Japanese. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the scarcity of opportunities.

The etymology of 少ない isn't definitively known, but it's likely a compound word. The "su-" part is believed to mean "decrease" or "diminish." The word is a classic Japanese word.