小 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its heart, 小 is about being small or little — the natural opposite of 大 ("big"). You'll meet it in three roles: as the standalone adjective 小さい ("small"), as the on'yomi building block ショウ inside compounds (小学校 "elementary school," 小説 "novel"), and as a friendly prefix こ- / お- that shrinks the word it attaches to (小鳥 "little bird," 小川 "small stream"). Whenever you spot 小 in a word, you can bet it carries some sense of "small" — a quick head start on the meaning.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | ちい.さい | 小さい (small) |
| kun'yomi (prefix) | こ- | 小鳥 (ことり, little bird), 小声 (こごえ, soft voice) |
| kun'yomi (prefix) | お- | 小川 (おがわ, stream, brook) |
| on'yomi | ショウ | 小学校 (elementary school), 小学生 (elementary student), 小説 (novel) |
Here's a rule of thumb that works for most kanji: the kun'yomi (ちい.さい) shows up when the kanji stands more or less alone with a hiragana ending, while the on'yomi (ショウ) appears inside two-kanji-and-up compounds. So 小さい uses ちい.さい, but 小学校 uses ショウ. The tricky extras here are the prefixes こ- (小鳥) and お- (小川) — when 小 sits in front of a word to mean "little," it often takes one of these instead.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 3. Write the center vertical stroke first (a short hook), then the left dot, then the right dot. Just three quick marks.
- Radical: 小 is its own radical, the "small" radical (ちいさい). It's a tiny, friendly shape that you'll also see sitting on top of or beneath other kanji — for example in 少 ("few"), which adds one extra stroke.
Because 小 is so simple, it's a great early win: three strokes, one clear meaning, and a shape that's hard to forget.
Common words using 小
Notice the reading split in action: the lone adjective 小さい takes ちい.さい, the compounds (小学校, 小学生, 小説) flip to ショウ, and the "little ___" words use the prefixes — こ- in 小鳥 and お- in 小川.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは小さい家に住んでいます。
ヤッタンは ちいさい いえに すんでいます。
Yattan lives in a small house.
小さい — the kun'yomi ちい.さい reading (the い-adjective 'small').
モチは小学生のとき、小説を書きました。
モチは しょうがくせいの とき、しょうせつを かきました。
When Mochi was an elementary school student, she wrote a novel.
Two on'yomi compounds: 小学生 (ショウ) and 小説 (ショウ).
弟は小川のそばで小鳥を見ました。
おとうとは おがわの そばで ことりを みました。
My little brother saw a small bird by the stream.
Both prefix readings together: 小川 (お-) and 小鳥 (こ-).
Quick recap
- 小 = little / small; only 3 strokes; it's the "small" radical itself, and the opposite of 大 (big).
- ちい.さい when it stands alone (小さい); ショウ in compounds (小学校, 小説).
- The prefixes こ- (小鳥) and お- (小川) both add a "little" flavor — watch for these special readings.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 小 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 小 in 小さい vs 小学校?
In 小さい it's the kun'yomi ちい (小さい = ちいさい, 'small'). In 小学校 it's the on'yomi ショウ (小学校 = しょうがっこう, 'elementary school'). As a rule, compounds take the on'yomi.
How many strokes does 小 have?
小 has just 3 strokes: the center vertical hook first, then the left dot, then the right dot. It's also the 'small' radical.
Why is 小 read こ in 小鳥 but お in 小川?
Both こ- and お- are kun'yomi prefixes meaning 'little / small,' and which one a word uses is fixed by custom. 小鳥 (ことり, 'little bird') takes こ-, while 小川 (おがわ, 'stream') takes お-. These are worth memorizing word by word.
What's the opposite of 小?
The opposite is 大 (おお.きい / ダイ), meaning 'big, large.' Learning 小 and 大 together makes both easier to remember.