少

In a sentence

• 我们班的学生比其他班少。

  There are fewer students in our class compared to other classes.

  In this context, 少 (shǎo) is used as an adjective, meaning 'few' or 'less' to describe the quantity of students.

• 每天吃少量的水果对身体有益。

  Eating a small amount of fruit every day is beneficial for your health.

  Here, 少 (shǎo) is used as a modifier to mean 'small' when describing 'amount' (少量)。

• 你要早点儿来，不然就少赶上了。

  You should come earlier, or else you would catch fewer options.

  In this case, 少 (shǎo) is used to imply 'fewer,' highlighting a comparative aspect. Hoever, here it implies a condition rather than a strict count.