How to say 'Small' in Japanese | 小

Wondering how to say 'Small' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Small is 'Shou', written as 小 in Japanese.'Small' in hiragana is しょう.

word

小

Meaning

Small

Reading

しょう

shou

Kanji

小Small

Explanation

The Japanese noun '小 (しょう)' means 'small' or 'little'. It is often used in compound words or names to indicate something is small in size or scale. For example: small mountain『小山』(しょうやま), small river『小川』(おがわ). It can also be used in names of people or places. For example: Mr. Kojima『小島さん』(こじまさん). Note that while '小' can stand alone as a noun, it is more commonly seen as part of compound words.

Part Of Speech

noun

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

2336

Composition

kanji

Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 小

This word contains 1 kanji character:

kanji

小

Meaning

Small

Words Related to 小 Through the Kanji 小

These 24 Words contain the Kanji 小 as well.

word

小さな

Meaning

Small

word

小さい

Meaning

Small

word

小学生

Meaning

Elementary student

word

小学校

Meaning

Elementary

word

小説

Meaning

Novel

word

小包

Meaning

Parcel

word

小川

Meaning

Stream

word

小雨

Meaning

Drizzle

word

小屋

Meaning

Hut

word

小売店

Meaning

Retail store

word

小便

Meaning

Urine, Urination

word

小量

Meaning

Small amount

word

小学

Meaning

Elementary

word

小指

Meaning

Pinkie

word

小遣い

Meaning

Pocket money

word

縮小

Meaning

Reduction

word

小型

Meaning

Small size

word

小鳥

Meaning

Bird

word

小麦

Meaning

Wheat

word

小麦粉

Meaning

Flour

word

小児科

Meaning

Pediatrics

word

大小

Meaning

Size, Importance

word

最小

Meaning

Minimum

word

小児

Meaning

Child

Learn the Word 小

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What does 'Shou' (小) mean?

'Shou' means 'Small' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.