adjective / noun HSK 6
few · scant · widowed · widow
Meaning
寡 primarily means 'few' or 'scant' in literary or formal contexts. It's also used to describe someone who is widowed, particularly a woman whose husband has died. The character appears in classical texts and formal expressions more than everyday speech.
Usage
寡 is largely literary or formal. In modern spoken Mandarin, people typically use 少 (shǎo) for 'few'. The widowhood meaning appears in compounds like 寡妇 (guǎfù, widow). You'll encounter 寡 in classical idioms like 寡不敌众 (outnumbered) or formal political language like 寡头 (oligarch).
Examples
- 01他平时沉默寡言，很少说话。, .He is usually taciturn and rarely speaks.
- 02这位将军寡不敌众，最终败北。, .This general was outnumbered and ultimately defeated.
Common collocations
- 寡不敌众the few cannot withstand the many
- 沉默寡言taciturn, of few words
- 寡头政治oligarchy
- 优柔寡断indecisive, irresolute
Antonyms
Origin
The character 寡 consists of the roof radical 宀 (mián) above and 頒 components, originally depicting a woman alone under a roof, suggesting isolation or scarcity.