小 (xiǎo)

An adjective meaning "small," "little," or "young." It is the antonym of 大 (dà, big). Beyond size, 小 is also used to indicate youth (小孩, small child) and appears as an affectionate prefix for names (小明, Little Ming).

Meanings

[adjective] Small, little (in size).
[adjective] Young (in age).

Example Sentences

这只猫很小。 Zhè zhī māo hěn xiǎo. This cat is very small.

她的房间比我的小。 Tā de fángjiān bǐ wǒ de xiǎo. Her room is smaller than mine.

他还很小，才五岁。 Tā hái hěn xiǎo, cái wǔ suì. He is still very young, only five years old.

小朋友们在花园里玩。 Xiǎo péngyoumen zài huāyuán lǐ wán. The little children are playing in the garden.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
小孩	child, small child
小朋友	young friend, term for children
小心	be careful (small heart)
小学	primary school
小时	hour (small time unit)
最小	the smallest, the youngest

Memory Hook

Antonym of 大 (dà, big). The character 小 shows a central stroke with two small dots on the side — three tiny marks, representing something small and spread out delicately.