Little in Japanese
"little" in Japanese, with the kanji that carry the meaning.
3 Japanese kanji carry the meaning "little". The most common choice is shown first.
小View details →
Top pick
little, small
Reading: shou
3 strokes
Where it comes from
Shape of dividing something small. Three dots representing smallness.
What it carries
Tiny, humble, delicate. Japanese aesthetic of attending to small things.
Related kanji for "little"
少Details →寸Details →
little
shou
Shape of '小' with one additional stroke. Having just a little.
a little(also: measurement, tenth of a shaku, small)
sun
Shape of finger width. Unit of length.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Japanese kanji for little?
The most common kanji for "little" is 小, read as shou. It means little, small. Related kanji: 少 (little), 寸 (a little).
How many strokes does 小 have?
小 has 3 strokes.