Writing
小 (xiǎo) — how to say "small" in Chinese
小
Small, little, young
adjective · prefix
Radicals / Keys
小
Small
#42 · xiǎo · 3 strokes
Collocations
小狗
xiǎo gǒu
puppy
小猫
xiǎo māo
kitten
Examples
这杯子很小，我很喜欢这个杯子。
This cup is very small, I like this cup very much.
杯子很小
The cup is very small.
Mnemonic
[xiǎo-] Shaun the mouse 🐭 wanders into an enchanted wood looking for a door marked 小. He is amazed to find it so tiny that only an ant could squeeze through. Shaun sits down beside it and smiles: "This is the place for small and young adventures."
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "small" in Chinese?
"small" in Chinese is 小 (xiǎo).
小 meaning in English
小 (xiǎo) means "Small, little, young".
Small in Chinese pinyin
It is pronounced xiǎo (written as xiao). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "small" in Chinese characters?
It is written 小 and has 3 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 小?
小 belongs to the HSK 1 vocabulary list.
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