Japanese dictionary
How to say "small" in Japanese
小さいちいさい · chiisai
"Small" in Japanese is 小さい (chiisai). A small room or space is 狭い (semai), and a small amount is 少ない (sukunai).
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Ways to say "small" in Japanese
| Japanese | When to use it |
|---|---|
| 小さいちいさい · chiisai | Small; little. |
| 狭いせまい · semai | Small; narrow (room, space). |
| 少ないすくない · sukunai | Small (amount); few. |
How to use it
"A small size" in stores is Sサイズ (esu saizu).
"Small talk" is 雑談 (zatsudan).
Example sentences
- もう少し小さいサイズはありますか。Mō sukoshi chiisai saizu wa arimasu ka.Do you have a slightly smaller size?
- この部屋は少し狭いです。Kono heya wa sukoshi semai desu.This room is a little small.
- 小さい子どもがいます。Chiisai kodomo ga imasu.I have small children.
- 今日はお客様が少ないです。Kyō wa okyakusama ga sukunai desu.We have few customers today.
- 会議の前に少し雑談をしました。Kaigi no mae ni sukoshi zatsudan o shimashita.We made some small talk before the meeting.
- 字が小さくて読めません。Ji ga chiisakute yomemasen.The letters are too small to read.
Kanji in this word
Questions
What is the difference between 小さい and 狭い?
小さい (chiisai) is small in size. 狭い (semai) is narrow or cramped, used for rooms, roads and spaces.
How do you say "small talk" in Japanese?
Say 雑談 (zatsudan).
Using Japanese at work?
See Executive JapaneseExecutive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.