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小xiǎosmall; tiny

HSK 1word

By Chinese Copilot · Last updated

小 (xiǎo) means "small," "tiny," or "few," and can also mean "young." As an adjective it describes size, amount, or age. Before some nouns and nicknames it works like a prefix with a familiar or "little" feel. This entry covers those adjective and prefix uses.

What does 小 mean?

  1. 1.

    small; tinyadjective

  2. 2.

    fewadjective

  3. 3.

    youngadjective

What does the character 小 mean?

  • 小small; tiny

How do you use 小?

小 often follows 很 in descriptions, or sits before a noun; as a prefix it can mark youth or a familiar tone in nicknames and titles.

Patterns

  • 很 + 小

    这个很小。

    Zhège hěn xiǎo.

    This is very small.

  • 小 + Noun

    小孩子来了。

    Xiǎo háizi lái le.

    The little child came.

What are some examples of 小 in a sentence?

  1. HSK 1

    这个很小。

    Zhège hěn xiǎo.

    This is very small.

  2. HSK 1

    我儿子很小。

    Wǒ érzi hěn xiǎo.

    My son is very young / small.

  3. HSK 1

    小孩子来了。

    Xiǎo háizi lái le.

    The little child came.

  4. HSK 1

    请小一点。

    Qǐng xiǎo yī diǎn.

    Please (make it) a little smaller.

How is 小 used in a conversation?

  1. Speaker A:

    这个大吗？

    Zhège dà ma?

    Is this big?

  2. Speaker B:

    不，这个很小。

    Bù, zhège hěn xiǎo.

    No, this is very small.

  3. Speaker A:

    你儿子多大？

    Nǐ érzi duō dà?

    How old is your son?

  4. Speaker B:

    我儿子很小。

    Wǒ érzi hěn xiǎo.

    My son is still very young.

  5. Speaker A:

    小孩子来了吗？

    Xiǎo háizi lái le ma?

    Did the little child come?

  6. Speaker B:

    来了。

    Lái le.

    Yes, (he/she) came.

Can you use 小 correctly?

0 of 3 answered
  1. 1.Fill in the blank: 这个很___。 (This is very small.)
  2. 2.Which means "My son is very young/small"?
  3. 3.Fill in the blank: ___孩子来了。

What should you learn next?

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English glosses on this page are adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG (snapshot 2026-10-23), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Glosses were edited for learners.