小

Learning Chinese: How to Say "Small" in Chinese

Chinese Characters: 小
Pinyin: xiǎo
Pronunciation: shao3
English Translation: Small

Usage:

"小 (xiǎo)" is the most common way to say "small" in Chinese. It can be used to describe the size of objects, people, or animals.

Example:

Chinese: 这本书很小。
Pinyin: Zhè běn shū hěn xiǎo.
English: This book is very small.

Variations:

There are a few variations of "小 (xiǎo)" that you may hear:

小小 (xiǎo xiǎo): A more emphatic way to say "small," similar to "tiny" or "petite" in English.
小巧 (xiǎo qiǎo): A more formal way to say "small," often used to describe something that is both small and delicate.

Tips for Learning:

Practice saying "小 (xiǎo)" out loud to improve your pronunciation.
Listen to native Chinese speakers saying "small" to get a sense of the natural rhythm and intonation.
Use "小 (xiǎo)" in your daily conversations to practice using it in context.

Additional Notes:

"小 (xiǎo)" can also be used as a prefix to mean "younger" or "junior." For example, "小李 (xiǎo Lǐ)" means "younger Li" or "junior Li."
In some regions of China, people may also use "细 (xì)" to mean "small" in certain contexts. For example, "细雨 (xì yǔ)" means "drizzle."

Example Sentences:

Chinese: 这个房间很小。
Pinyin: Zhège fángjiān hěn xiǎo.
English: This room is very small.

Chinese: 她有一双小手。
Pinyin: Tā yǒu yī shuāng xiǎo shǒu.
English: She has small hands.

Chinese: 这件衣服对我来说太小了。
Pinyin: Zhè jiàn yīfu duì wǒ lái shuō tài xiǎo le.
English: This dress is too small for me.