小
little · small
Details
Description
Small - something parted into little pieces. Smallness, and the Japanese care for small things.
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Shape of dividing something small. Three dots representing smallness.
Symbolism
Tiny, humble, delicate. Japanese aesthetic of attending to small things.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Small joy
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
過小評価
かしょうひょうか
underestimation; undervaluation
小春日和
こはるびより
Indian summer (around November); mild late autumn weather; mild late fall weather
小心翼々
しょうしんよくよく
very timid; very nervous; faint-hearted
針小棒大
しんしょうぼうだい
exaggeration; making a mountain out of a molehill
大同小異
だいどうしょうい
essentially the same with only minor differences
高手小手
たかてこて
bound hands and arms
軽薄短小
けいはくたんしょう
small, light and thin (of consumer products, esp. electronics)
小国寡民
しょうこくかみん
small country with a small population (The Chinese philosopher Lao-tze's ideal of a state)
小人閑居
しょうじんかんきょ
a small-minded person being idle (tends to do evil)
胆大心小
たんだいしんしょう
being bold and courageous, but also careful and meticulous
腕白小僧
わんぱくこぞう
naughty boy; mischievous boy; little rascal
Proverbs & Idioms
小事は大事
しょうじはだいじ
Small things matter
Even small matters are important
Poetry
小倉山 峰のもみぢ葉 心あらば 今ひとたびの みゆき待たなむ
Maple leaves on the peak of Ogura, if you have any heart, wait for one more imperial visit before you fall.
浅茅生の 小野の篠原 しのぶれど あまりてなどか 人の恋しき
Like bamboo grass on the sparse-reeded moor I hide it, and still — why does my longing for her overflow?
世の中は つねにもがもな 渚こぐ あまの小舟の 綱手かなしも
If only the world could stay as it is. The tow-rope of a fisherman's small boat along the shore moves me so.
風そよぐ ならの小川の 夕暮れは みそぎぞ夏の しるしなりける
At dusk by the Nara brook, where the wind stirs the oak leaves, only the purification rite shows that it is still summer.
Anime & Manga
小林さんちのメイドラゴン
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
A well-known work with 小 in its Japanese title.
诡秘之主 小丑篇
Lord of Mysteries
A well-known work with 小 in its Japanese title.
対魔導学園35試験小隊
Anti-Magic Academy: The 35th Test Platoon
A well-known work with 小 in its Japanese title.
小市民シリーズ
SHOSHIMIN: How to Become Ordinary
A well-known work with 小 in its Japanese title.
うちの会社の小さい先輩の話
My Tiny Senpai
A well-known work with 小 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
小林一茶
Name contains 小
Kobayashi Issa was a Japanese poet. He is known for his haiku poems and journals.
Wikipedia小ドルスス
Name contains 小
Drusus Julius Caesar , also called Drusus the Younger, was the son of Emperor Tiberius, and heir to the Roman Empire following the death of his…
Wikipedia小野小町
Name contains 小
Ono no Komachi was a Japanese waka poet, one of the Rokkasen—the six best waka poets of the early Heian period.
Wikipedia後小松天皇
Name contains 小
Emperor Go-Komatsu was the 100th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and the sixth and final Emperor of the Northern…
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 小 mean in Japanese?
小 means little, small. Small - something parted into little pieces. Smallness, and the Japanese care for small things.
How do you read 小?
On'yomi: ショウ (SHOU). Kun'yomi: ちい.さい、こ-、お-、さ- (chiisai, ko, o, sa).
How many strokes does 小 have?
小 has 3 strokes. Its radical is 小 (small).
Is 小 a good kanji for a tattoo?
小 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means little, small. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.