小さい

• Reading: ちいさい
• Romaji: chiisai
• Kanji breakdown: 小 (chii/shou) — small, little, minor
• Pronunciation: /t͡ɕi.i.sa.i/

Meaning

Small; little; tiny. The opposite of 大きい.

An i-adjective describing something physically small or minor in scale. Like 大きい, it has an alternative prenominal form 小さな that can be used directly before nouns. Conjugation follows standard i-adjective rules: 小さくない, 小さかった, 小さくなかった.

Examples

1. 妹は小さい犬を飼っています。 My younger sister has a small dog.
2. この部屋は少し小さいです。 This room is a little small.
3. 小さい子どもがたくさんいました。 There were a lot of little kids.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, descriptions, comparisons

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 小 depicts a vertical line divided into smaller parts, representing the concept of smallness.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal