Usage note
少数表示不多的一部分。
shǎo shù biǎo shì bù duō de yí bù fen。
A minority means a small part.
Context note
少数常和多数一起比较。
shǎo shù cháng hé duō shù yì qǐ bǐ jiào。
Minority is often compared with majority.
5 examples
少数人同意。
shǎo shù rén tóng yì。
A small number of people agreed.
只有少数学生来。
zhǐ yǒu shǎo shù xué shēng lái。
Only a few students came.
少数情况会这样。
shǎo shù qíng kuàng huì zhè yàng。
This happens in a small number of cases.
大多数和少数都要考虑。
dà duō shù hé shǎo shù dōu yào kǎo lǜ。
Both the majority and minority should be considered.
少数问题需要解释。
shǎo shù wèn tí xū yào jiě shì。
A few issues need explanation.
5 mini stories
少数人先到了。
shǎo shù rén xiān dào le。
A small number of people arrived first.
这道题只有少数人做对。
zhè dào tí zhǐ yǒu shǎo shù rén zuò duì。
Only a few people got this question right.
少数意见也很重要。
shǎo shù yì jiàn yě hěn zhòng yào。
Minority opinions are also important.
大多数学生喜欢这个活动，少数人不喜欢。
dà duō shù xué shēng xǐ huan zhè ge huó dòng， shǎo shù rén bù xǐ huan。
Most students like this activity, while a few do not.
少数情况下需要特别处理。
shǎo shù qíng kuàng xià xū yào tè bié chǔ lǐ。
Special handling is needed in a few cases.
Mini dialogue
少数人知道
A
这个秘密很多人知道吗？
Zhège mìmì hěn duō rén zhīdào ma?
Do many people know this secret?
B
不，只有少数人知道。
Bù, zhǐyǒu shǎoshù rén zhīdào.
No, only a minority of people know.
少数服从多数
A
我们怎么决定去哪里玩？
Wǒmen zěnme juédìng qù nǎlǐ wán?
How do we decide where to go play?
B
我们投票吧，少数服从多数。
Wǒmen tóupiào ba, shǎoshù fúcóng duōshù.
Let's vote, the minority obeys the majority.
Related words and contrasts
opposite
多数
duō shù
majority
少数 means the smaller part; 多数 means the larger part.
similar
一些
yī xiē
some, a few
Both can refer to a small number. 少数 emphasizes being the smaller group.