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所剩无几

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: suǒ shèng wú jǐ
  • English Translation: Very little left (hardly anything remains)
  • Idiom Composition: 「所」（A particle used before a verb to form a noun phrase (meaning 'that which...')）＋「剩」（To remain; to be left over）＋「无」（None; to not have）＋「几」（A few; how many (here meaning 'not many' when combined with 无)）
  • Meaning: An idiom describing a state where the remaining amount of something is extremely small. It is used to depict the depletion of countable items or quantities such as time, money, goods, or people.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「所剩无几」 contains the following nuances:

  • Objective Description: This expression is relatively neutral in tone. It is primarily used to objectively state the fact that the remaining quantity is low, rather than expressing a strong emotional judgment.
  • The Role of 所 (suǒ): In this idiom, 所 (suǒ) acts as a structural particle that turns the verb 剩 (shèng, to remain) into a noun phrase meaning 'that which remains.' This is then followed by 无几 (wú jǐ), meaning 'is not much.'

3. Usage

「所剩无几」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Urgency of Time: Frequently used when a deadline or end time is approaching and the remaining time is nearly exhausted.
    • Example:「离考试结束只剩下五分钟了，时间所剩无几，大家都在奋笔疾书。」
      （With only five minutes left until the exam ends, very little time remains, and everyone is writing furiously.)
  • Depletion of Resources or Money: Used to describe a state where savings, inventory, or food supplies are about to run out.
    • Example:「虽然刚发了工资，但还完信用卡后，手里的钱已经所剩无几了。」
      （Although I just got paid, after paying off my credit card, I have hardly any money left.)
  • Decrease in Numbers: Describes a situation where a once-large group of companions or survivors has dwindled over time.
    • Example:「当年的老战友如今还在世的已所剩无几。」
      （Of the old comrades-in-arms from those days, those who are still alive today are few and far between.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 这场大火之后，森林里的树木所剩无几。
    （After the massive fire, hardly any trees were left in the forest.）
  2. 他对这个项目的热情已经被琐碎的工作消磨得所剩无几。
    （His passion for this project has been worn down by trivial chores until almost nothing remains.）
  3. 冰箱里的食物所剩无几，我们需要去超市采购了。
    （There is very little food left in the refrigerator, so we need to go to the supermarket.）
  4. 经过几轮激烈的淘汰赛，剩下的选手所剩无几。
    （After several rounds of intense eliminations, only a handful of contestants remain.）
  5. 假期的余额已经所剩无几，明天就要开始上班了。
    （The remaining balance of the holiday is almost gone; work starts tomorrow.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • While this idiom appears in Qing Dynasty literature such as the novel Flowers in the Mirror (镜花缘) and Officialdom Unmasked (官场现形记), it is not strictly a 'historical anecdote' idiom (gushi chengyu). Instead, it is a literal descriptive idiom that has remained highly relevant.
  • In modern usage, it is extremely versatile and appears in everything from daily conversation to news reports. It is particularly common in contexts involving 'time' or 'money,' often accompanied by a sense of anxiety or lamentation regarding depletion.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

所剩无几 (suǒ shèng wú jǐ) describes a situation where something that was originally present has decreased until almost nothing is left. It can be applied to anything that can be 'used up,' such as time, money, resources, or the number of people in a group. It is a useful expression for conveying a sense of urgency or the factual reality that 'there is almost none left.'

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 1Pre-Level 1

Idiom Essay

suǒ shèng wú jǐ
所剩无几
Very Little Left
wǒ men我们cháng常yǒu有yī zhǒng一种gǎn jué感觉，dāng当yōng yǒu拥有de的dōng xī东西hěn很duō多shí时，wǎng wǎng往往bú huì不会tài太zài yì在意。

We often feel that when we have a lot of something, we tend not to care much about it.

kě shì可是，dāng当tā它kuài yào快要yòng wán用完de的shí hòu时候，xīn lǐ心里cái才huì会tū rán突然“gē dēng咯噔”yī xià一下，kāi shǐ开始biàn dé变得jǐn zhāng紧张，huò zhě或者gé wài格外zhēn xī珍惜。

However, when it is about to run out, our hearts suddenly skip a beat, and we start to feel anxious or cherish it more.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语zhuān mén专门xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“suǒ shèng wú jǐ所剩无几”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically for this state called 所剩无几.

zhè ge这个cí词de的zì miàn字面yì si意思hěn很qīng chǔ清楚。

The literal meaning of this phrase is very clear.

“suǒ shèng所剩”，jiù shì就是liú xià留下lái来、yú xià余下de的dōng xī东西；“wú jǐ无几”，yì si意思shì是méi没duō shǎo多少le了，qū zhǐ kě shǔ屈指可数。

所剩 refers to what is left or remaining; 无几 means not much or very few.

hé qǐ lái合起来，jiù shì shuō就是说shèng xià剩下de的bù fèn部分yǐ jīng已经fēi cháng非常shǎo少le了。

Combined, it means that the remaining part is already very small.

wǒ men我们zài在shēng huó生活zhōng中，jīng cháng经常huì会hé和zhè ge这个cí词dǎ jiāo dào打交道。

We often encounter this phrase in our daily lives.

zuì最cháng jiàn常见de的，yě xǔ也许shì是shí jiān时间。

The most common example is perhaps time.

bǐ rú比如yí gè一个cháng jià长假，gāng刚kāi shǐ开始shí时nǐ你jué de觉得rì zi日子hěn很zhǎng长，kě yǐ可以suí yì随意làng fèi浪费。

For instance, at the start of a long holiday, you feel the days are long and can be wasted freely.

kě可dào到le了zuì hòu最后liǎng tiān两天，nǐ你huì会tū rán突然fā xiàn发现，jià qī假期yǐ jīng已经“suǒ shèng wú jǐ所剩无几”。

But by the last two days, you suddenly realize the holiday is 所剩无几.

zhè shí hòu这时候，nǎ pà哪怕shì是yí gè一个xiǎo shí小时，nǐ你yě也huì会jué de觉得tè bié特别zhēn guì珍贵。

At that moment, even a single hour feels exceptionally precious.

yòu又bǐ rú比如，shǒu jī手机de的diàn liàng电量。

Another example is phone battery life.

dāng当diàn liàng电量chōng zú充足shí时，wǒ men我们shén me什么dōu都kàn看；kě可dāng当diàn liàng电量biàn hóng变红，xiǎn shì显示“suǒ shèng wú jǐ所剩无几”shí时，nǐ你jiù就bù zài不再shuā刷shì pín视频le了，zhǐ只huì会bǎ把diàn电liú gěi留给zuì最zhòng yào重要de的yí tòng diàn huà一通电话。

When the battery is full, we watch everything; but when the battery turns red and shows 所剩无几, you stop scrolling through videos and save the power for the most important call.

suǒ yǐ所以，“suǒ shèng wú jǐ所剩无几”zhè ge这个cí词，tīng qǐ lái听起来suī rán虽然yǒu diǎn有点xiāo jí消极，hǎo xiàng好像zài在shuō说dōng xī东西bù gòu不够le了。

So, although the phrase 所剩无几 sounds a bit negative, as if saying there is not enough left.

dàn但huàn换gè个jiǎo dù角度kàn看，tā它qí shí其实shì是yí gè一个fēi cháng非常yǒu yòng有用de的xìn hào信号。

Looking at it from another perspective, it is actually a very useful signal.

tā它zài在tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们：zhù yì注意le了，zī yuán资源de的biān jiè边界dào到le了。

It reminds us: pay attention, the limit of resources has been reached.

zài在“suǒ shèng wú jǐ所剩无几”de的shí hòu时候，wǒ men我们wǎng wǎng往往zuì最qīng xǐng清醒，yě也zuì最dǒng de懂得shén me什么shì是zhēn zhèng真正zhòng yào重要de的。

When things are 所剩无几, we are often at our most sober and understand best what is truly important.

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你fā xiàn发现zhè这yī nián一年de的shí jiān时间、kǒu dài口袋lǐ里de的líng huā qián零花钱，shèn zhì甚至shì是zì jǐ自己duì对mǒu某jiàn件shì事de的nài xīn耐心yǐ jīng已经bù不duō多de的shí hòu时候，nǐ你kě yǐ可以yòng用zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语tí xǐng提醒zì jǐ自己。

Next time, when you find that this year's time, the pocket money in your wallet, or even your patience for something is running low, you can use this idiom to remind yourself.

yīn wèi因为dāng当yī yàng一样dōng xī东西“suǒ shèng wú jǐ所剩无几”shí时，wǎng wǎng往往yě也shì是wǒ men我们zuì最gāi该hǎo hǎo好好bǎ wò把握tā它de的shí hòu时候。

Because when something is 所剩无几, it is often the time we should grasp it most firmly.

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