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Small in size, amount, or degree; not large.
小孩子喜欢玩具。
Small children like toys.
我的房间很小。
My room is small.
Used before nouns to indicate small size or youth, e.g., 小狗 (xiǎo gǒu, puppy), 小雨 (xiǎo yǔ, light rain).
Younger or junior in a family or social context.
我有一个小妹妹。
I have a little sister.
他是我的小弟弟。
He is my younger brother.
Often used in kinship terms, e.g., 小王 (Xiǎo Wáng, a younger Wang), 小李 (Xiǎo Lǐ, a younger Li).
A little; slightly.
我有点儿小累。
I'm a little tired.
这个菜有点儿小辣。
This dish is a little spicy.
Used to soften adjectives or verbs, often in spoken Chinese.
小 typically precedes the noun it modifies (e.g., 小狗, small dog). It can also stand alone to describe size (e.g., 这个小, this is small).
When used with names, 小 indicates familiarity or youth (e.g., 小李, Little Li). It is often used in informal or affectionate contexts.
The character 小 (xiǎo) depicts a small mark or particle, suggesting something tiny. It has been used in Chinese since the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE) to denote smallness or youth.
小 is one of the most common adjectives in Chinese. It can precede nouns (小狗, puppy) or stand alone (这个小). In some contexts, it implies endearment or familiarity, especially when used with names (小明).