# 寥寥无几

liáo liáo wú jǐ

Very few in number

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Sparse and hardly any

**Traditional Chinese:** 寥寥無幾

**Register:** General · spoken & written

[Perspective](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/perspective)

## When to use it

Emphasize that only a small number remain or are present.

It is an impression of scarcity, not an exact count.

## The image & its use

A shelf that once held many notebooks may have only a few left. This expression makes that small remaining number the focus. It can describe visitors, examples, available places, or other countable things. The surrounding context tells the reader whether the scarcity is surprising, welcome, or a practical limitation. If an exact number matters for planning, give it as well. The expression works as a descriptive emphasis rather than a replacement for a count that someone needs to act on.

## Examples

下午来参观的人寥寥无几。

### Traditional Chinese

下午來參觀的人寥寥無幾。

xià wǔ lái cān guān de rén liáo liáo wú jǐ 。

Very few people came to visit in the afternoon.

这种尺寸的笔记本已经寥寥无几。

### Traditional Chinese

這種尺寸的筆記本已經寥寥無幾。

zhè zhǒng chǐ cùn de bǐ jì běn yǐ jīng liáo liáo wú jǐ 。

Only a few notebooks of this size remain.

能找到的早期照片寥寥无几。

### Traditional Chinese

能找到的早期照片寥寥無幾。

néng zhǎo dào de zǎo qī zhào piàn liáo liáo wú jǐ 。

Very few early photographs can be found.

空余座位寥寥无几，我们最好提前预约。

### Traditional Chinese

空餘座位寥寥無幾，我們最好提前預約。

kòng yú zuò wèi liáo liáo wú jǐ ， wǒ men zuì hǎo tí qián yù yuē 。

Few seats remain, so we had better reserve in advance.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 7, 2026.

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=1285&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E5%AF%A5%E5%AF%A5%E7%84%A1%E5%B9%BE)

## Keep exploring

- [寥若晨星 liáo ruò chén xīng Be very few and far between ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/liao-ruo-chen-xing)

- [淋漓尽致 lín lí jìn zhì Express or display something fully and vividly ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/lin-li-jin-zhi)

- [流连忘返 liú lián wàng fǎn Linger with such enjoyment that one forgets to leave ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/liu-lian-wang-fan)

- [满腹经纶 mǎn fù jīng lún Possess extensive learning and practical wisdom ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/man-fu-jing-lun)

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