KaiwaGo小 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
小 means “small”. It is written with 3 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: ショウ (shou). Kun’yomi: ちい.さい (chiisai), こ (ko), お (o).
How to write 小 (stroke order)
Write 小 in 3 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 小
Trace 小 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 小
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | ショウ (shou) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | ちい.さい (chiisai)こ (ko)お (o) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 小 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 小
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 小さい | ちいさい chiisai | small | |
| 小学校 | しょうがっこう shougakkou | elementary school |
小さい (chiisai) means “small”.
小学校 (shougakkou) means “elementary school”. Also in this word: 学校
FAQ
What does 小 mean in Japanese?
小 means “small”. Common words with it are 小さい (chiisai, “small”) and 小学校 (shougakkou, “elementary school”).
How many strokes does 小 have?
小 has 3 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 3.
How do you read 小?
The on’yomi is ショウ (shou) and the kun’yomi is ちい.さい (chiisai), こ (ko), お (o). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 小 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 小 is kanji number 40 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.