Keywords: jianshao, 减少, how to say reduce in Chinese, decrease in Chinese, lessen Chinese, diminish Chinese, Chinese verb for decrease, jiǎnshǎo meaning, HSK 4 vocabulary
Summary: Learn how to use the essential Chinese verb 减少 (jiǎnshǎo), which means “to reduce,” “decrease,” or “lessen.” This page breaks down its meaning, cultural context, and practical usage in everyday life, from reducing expenses and stress to environmental and health discussions. Discover the difference between 减少 (jiǎnshǎo) and similar words like 降低 (jiàngdī) to use it accurately and naturally.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): jiǎnshǎo
Part of Speech: Verb
HSK Level: HSK 4
Concise Definition: To reduce in quantity, amount, or number.
In a Nutshell:减少 (jiǎnshǎo) is the go-to Chinese verb for when you want to talk about making something less. It's a neutral and direct term, much like “reduce” or “decrease” in English. Think of it as an action word for lowering a specific count or amount of something, whether it's concrete (like money) or abstract (like stress).
Character Breakdown
减 (jiǎn): This character means “to subtract,” “decrease,” or “minus.” It's composed of the “ice” radical (冫) on the left, suggesting a cooling down or lessening, and 咸 (xián) on the right, which primarily provides the sound. Think of it as the action of taking something away.
少 (shǎo): This character simply means “few,” “little,” or “less.” It's the opposite of 多 (duō), which means “many” or “much.”
Together, 减少 (jiǎnshǎo) literally combines “subtract” (减) and “less” (少), creating a reinforced and unambiguous meaning: to actively make something less in quantity.
Cultural Context and Significance
While 减少 (jiǎnshǎo) isn't a deeply philosophical term like 关系 (guānxi), its usage reflects modern Chinese societal priorities. You will frequently hear it in government reports, news broadcasts, and public service announcements, making it a window into national goals.
For example, phrases like 减少污染 (jiǎnshǎo wūrǎn) “reduce pollution,” 减少贫困 (jiǎnshǎo pínkùn) “reduce poverty,” and 减少食物浪费 (jiǎnshǎo shíwù làngfèi) “reduce food waste” are staples of official discourse and social campaigns. This demonstrates a collective, top-down approach to solving large-scale problems.
In a Western context, “reducing” can often feel like a personal choice (e.g., “I'm reducing my sugar intake”). In China, while this personal aspect exists, 减少 is also strongly associated with collective action and national policy. Understanding this helps you grasp why it appears so often in formal and public contexts.
Practical Usage in Modern China
Formality:减少 is a neutral-to-formal verb. It's standard in written Chinese, news, and business contexts. In spoken conversation, it's perfectly normal but can sound slightly more formal than more colloquial phrasing like “少 + [verb] + 点” (shǎo…diǎn), e.g., “少吃点” (shǎo chī diǎn - eat a little less).
Common Contexts:
Health and Diet: Used when discussing reducing the intake of certain foods or bad habits. (e.g., `减少糖分` - reduce sugar, `减少吸烟` - reduce smoking).
Business and Finance: Essential for talking about cutting costs, losses, or staff. (e.g., `减少开支` - reduce expenses, `减少预算` - reduce the budget).
Environment: Commonly used in discussions about environmental protection. (e.g., `减少塑料使用` - reduce plastic use, `减少碳排放` - reduce carbon emissions).
Personal Well-being: Used for abstract concepts like stress or workload. (e.g., `减少工作压力` - reduce work stress, `减少不必要的麻烦` - reduce unnecessary trouble).
Example Sentences
Example 1:
医生建议我减少盐的摄入量。
Pinyin: Yīshēng jiànyì wǒ jiǎnshǎo yán de shèrùliàng.
English: The doctor advised me to reduce my salt intake.
Analysis: A classic example related to health. “摄入量 (shèrùliàng)” means “intake amount,” a common word paired with 减少.
English: The supermarket is having a sale, hoping to reduce its inventory.
Analysis: A typical business use case. “库存 (kùcún)” means inventory or stock.
Example 10:
新的系统大大减少了出错的可能。
Pinyin: Xīn de xìtǒng dàdà jiǎnshǎo le chūcuò de kěnéng.
English: The new system has greatly reduced the possibility of errors.
Analysis: The adverb “大大 (dàdà)” is often used before 减少 to mean “greatly reduce.”
Nuances and Common Mistakes
`减少` (jiǎnshǎo) vs. `降低` (jiàngdī): This is the most common point of confusion.
减少 (jiǎnshǎo) is for quantity, number, or amount. It's about making something less numerous. (e.g., reduce the number of employees, reduce expenses).
降低 (jiàngdī) is for level, standard, degree, or rate. It's about lowering something on a scale. (e.g., lower the temperature, lower prices, lower the standard).
Example: You 减少 the number of products you sell, but you 降低 the price of each product.
Using `减少` as an action verb: Remember that `减少` is the action of *causing* a reduction. You can't just point at something and use `减少`.
Incorrect: `我的钱减少了。` (Wǒ de qián jiǎnshǎo le.) While grammatically understandable, it's more natural to say `我的钱少了 (Wǒ de qián shǎo le)` - “I have less money.”
Correct: `我减少了我的开销，所以现在钱更多了。` (Wǒ jiǎnshǎo le wǒ de kāixiāo, suǒyǐ xiànzài qián gèng duō le.) - “I reduced my expenses, so now I have more money.” The action is on the expenses.
Mistaking it for an adjective: `少 (shǎo)` is the adjective for “less/few.” `减少` is the verb “to reduce.”
Incorrect: `我需要一个减少的午饭。` (Wǒ xūyào yíge jiǎnshǎo de wǔfàn.)
Correct: `我午饭想吃少一点。` (Wǒ wǔfàn xiǎng chī shǎo yìdiǎn.) - “I want to eat a little less for lunch.”
Related Terms and Concepts
增加 (zēngjiā) - The direct antonym of 减少, meaning “to increase” or “to add.”
降低 (jiàngdī) - To lower a level, price, or standard. Often confused with 减少.
减轻 (jiǎnqīng) - To lighten or alleviate, used for burdens, pressure, pain, or symptoms. Focuses on relief.
削减 (xuējiǎn) - To slash, cut, or curtail. A stronger, more deliberate, and often more drastic form of reduction, typically used for budgets, funding, or military forces.
缩小 (suōxiǎo) - To shrink, reduce in size, scale, or scope. (e.g., shrink a picture, narrow the gap).
下降 (xiàjiàng) - To fall, drop, decline. Often used for data, prices, or temperatures that are moving downwards, implying less direct agency.
节省 (jiéshěng) - To save or economize. Focuses on the positive outcome of using less (e.g., saving money, time, or energy).