必不可少 bì bù kě shǎo — absolutely necessary

Meanings

1. 1

   absolutely necessary

   absolutely necessary; indispensable; essential

   verb

Character breakdown

• 不

  bù (fourth tone, falling)

  not, no — the general negative, placed before verbs and adjectives

  4 strokesRadical 一
• 少

  shǎo (third tone, dipping) shào (fourth tone, falling)

  few, little; to be short of, to be missing; (shào) young

  4 strokesRadical 小

Words containing 不

• 不bù (fourth tone, falling)not (negates verbs, adjectives and modal verbs)
• 不要bù (fourth tone, falling) yào (fourth tone, falling)don't!
• 不错/不錯bù (fourth tone, falling) cuò (fourth tone, falling)correct
• 不同bù (fourth tone, falling) tóng (second tone, rising)different
• 不断/不斷búduàn (second tone, rising)continuously, unceasingly
• 不过/不過búguò (second tone, rising)but, however (a lighter contrast than 但是)
• 不如bùrú (fourth tone, falling)to be not as good as; had better
• 不再bù (fourth tone, falling) zài (fourth tone, falling)no more
• 不用bù (fourth tone, falling) yòng (fourth tone, falling)need not
• 不少bù (fourth tone, falling) shǎo (third tone, dipping)many
• 不但búdàn (second tone, rising)not only … (but also)
• 差不多chàbuduō (fourth tone, falling)about the same, close enough, not much different
• 不然bùrán (fourth tone, falling)otherwise, or else
• 不管bùguǎn (fourth tone, falling)no matter (what/how…), regardless of
• 不足bùzú (fourth tone, falling)insufficient, inadequate; a shortcoming
• 不够/不夠bù (fourth tone, falling) gòu (fourth tone, falling)not enough
• 不行bù (fourth tone, falling) xíng (second tone, rising)won't do
• 不仅/不僅bù (fourth tone, falling) jǐn (third tone, dipping)not only (this one)

Words containing 少

• 少shǎo (third tone, dipping)few, little, not much
• 至少zhì (fourth tone, falling) shǎo (third tone, dipping)at least
• 多少duōshao (first tone, high and level)how many, how much
• 不少bù (fourth tone, falling) shǎo (third tone, dipping)many
• 减少/減少jiǎn (third tone, dipping) shǎo (third tone, dipping)to lessen
• 少年shào (fourth tone, falling) nián (second tone, rising)early youth
• 少女shào (fourth tone, falling) nǚ (third tone, dipping)girl
• 青少年qīng (first tone, high and level) shào (fourth tone, falling) nián (second tone, rising)adolescent
• 缺少quē (first tone, high and level) shǎo (third tone, dipping)lack
• 少数/少數shǎo (third tone, dipping) shù (fourth tone, falling)small number
• 少见/少見shǎo (third tone, dipping) jiàn (fourth tone, falling)rare; seldom seen
• 少量shǎo (third tone, dipping) liàng (fourth tone, falling)a smidgen
• 少有shǎo (third tone, dipping) yǒu (third tone, dipping)rare
• 或多或少huò (fourth tone, falling) duō (first tone, high and level) huò (fourth tone, falling) shǎo (third tone, dipping)more or less
• 少不了shǎo (third tone, dipping) bu (neutral tone) liǎo (third tone, dipping)cannot do without
• 少儿/少兒shào (fourth tone, falling) ér (second tone, rising)child
• 稀少xī (first tone, high and level) shǎo (third tone, dipping)sparse