些
Meanings
- classifier indicating a small amount or small number greater than 1: some, a few, several
Characters in this entry
- 些
- xiē · little, few; rather, somewhat
Explore the spelling
Mandarin tones
1 · xie1
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
Connected dictionary
Sentences in context
Exact source-spelling matches. Open the reader for dictionary lookups, construction notes and related examples. Occurrence does not establish a particular dictionary sense.
Read this spelling in Classical texts
Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.
Compare dictionary sources Rime · Wiktionary
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
sai3 · se1 · so1 · so3
Cantonese word readings for 些. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character · Etymology 1
- some; a few; a little; a bit (an indefinite amount)
- (adverbs after adjectives and certain verbs) a bit; a bit more
- (Southwestern Mandarin) Used after a noun to indicate plural number.
- rather; somewhat
- (archaic) A modal particle.
character · Etymology 2
- (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) A modal particle.
- (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese, synecdochic) fu (poetry)
- (historical dictionaries only) can; be able to
- (historical dictionaries only) what
- (historical dictionaries only) this
character · Etymology 3
- (historical dictionaries only) to decrease
character · Etymology 4
- only used in 麼些 /么些 (Mósuō, “Mosuo”).
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack