减少 jiǎn shǎo
“to lessen; to decrease; to reduce; to lower”
verb, verb / nounHSK 4 · 2021 list level 4Traditional 減少
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
减少 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1351: 减少 jiǎnshǎo — Level 4; official annotation 4 (动). PDF page 113
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 减少
减少 means "to reduce or decrease" — to make an amount or number smaller, or (of a number) to go down. It is used with things you can count or measure: 人数、费用、开支、污染、压力. It works both transitively (减少 + noun: 减少开支) and intransitively (数量减少了).
例句Example sentences
- 多坐公交车可以减少空气污染。duō zuò gōng jiāo chē kě yǐ jiǎn shǎo kōng qì wū rǎn.Taking the bus more often can reduce air pollution.
- 为了省钱，他减少了出去吃饭的次数。wèi le shěng qián, tā jiǎn shǎo le chū qù chī fàn de cì shù.To save money, he cut down on how often he eats out.
- 今年我们学校的学生减少了很多。jīn nián wǒ men xué xiào de xué sheng jiǎn shǎo le hěn duō.The number of students at our school has decreased a lot this year.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗最近这里的车很减少。
✓最近这里的车减少了很多。
减少 is a verb, not an adjective, so it cannot be used with 很 like a stative verb; use 减少了很多 to show the change.
易混词Easily confused
减少vs降低
减少 is for amounts and numbers getting smaller (人数、费用); 降低 is for levels and degrees going down (价格、温度、声音), e.g. 降低价格, not 减少价格.