Spread thin. If something is sparse, there is not much of it, and what there is sits far apart with gaps in between. That second half matters — 'sparse' is not simply 'a small amount', it is a small amount spread over a wide space.

Spread thin分散得稀薄。 If something is sparse如果某樣東西是sparse, there is not much of it表示它的量不多, and what there is sits far apart with gaps in between而且僅有的那些彼此隔得很開,中間有空隙。 That second half matters後半段這點很重要 — 'sparse' is not simply 'a small amount'sparse不只是「量少」, it is a small amount spread over a wide space而是「量少又分散在很大的範圍裡」。

Sparse hair means you can see scalp between the hairs. A sparse crowd means people standing here and there in a big room, not a small tight group. Sparse trees means a few trees with a lot of empty ground between them.

Sparse hairsparse hair稀疏的頭髮 means you can see scalp between the hairs是指頭髮之間能看到頭皮。 A sparse crowda sparse crowd稀疏的人群 means people standing here and there in a big room是指一大群人站得東一個西一個, not a small tight group不是緊密的小團體。 Sparse treessparse trees稀疏的樹 means a few trees with a lot of empty ground between them是指沒幾棵樹,樹跟樹之間有很多空地。

So the word always carries a picture of area, and of emptiness showing through.

So the word always carries a picture of area所以這個字總是帶著一種「範圍」的畫面, and of emptiness showing through以及「空缺透出來」的感覺。

It is used for things you could count or see spread out: hair, trees, population, traffic, notes, furniture, applause. It is also common with information — 'the details are sparse', meaning we were told very little and there are holes in what we know.

It is used for things you could count or see spread out它用在可以數得出來或看得出分散開來的東西上: hair, trees, population, traffic, notes, furniture, applausehair頭髮、trees樹、population人口、traffic車流、notes筆記、furniture家具、applause掌聲。 It is also common with information它也常用在資訊上 — 'the details are sparse'像「the details are sparse細節很稀少」, meaning we were told very little and there are holes in what we know意思是我們得到的資訊很少,知道的事情裡有很多空缺。

The word feels a bit formal or written. In casual speech people are more likely to say 'there weren't many people' than 'the crowd was sparse'. You will meet it most in news writing, reports, and academic English.

The word feels a bit formal or written這個字給人的感覺有點正式、書面。 In casual speech people are more likely to say 'there weren't many people'口語裡大家比較會說「there weren't many people沒什麼人」, than 'the crowd was sparse'而不是「the crowd was sparse人群很稀疏」。 You will meet it most in news writing, reports, and academic English你最常會在新聞寫作、報告,和學術英文裡遇到它。