小さい

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Japanese

See also 小さな
Kanji in this term
小
ちい
Grade: 1
kun'yomi

Etymology

*/tipisasi/ → /tifisasi/ → /t͡ɕihisaɕi/ → /t͡ɕiːsaɕi/ → /t͡ɕiːsai/

Ultimate derivation uncertain.

The initial chi element appears in other words with similar meanings of small, such as ちょっと (chotto, “a little bit”, adverb), from ちっと (chitto), from even earlier ちと (chito).

Possibly related to ちび (chibi, “small and round”, often with overtones of cuteness), itself apparently derived from 粒 (tsubu, “small round thing”, such as a grain of rice).[1]

Pronunciation

  • Tokyo pitch accent of inflected forms of 「小さい」
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Stem forms
Continuative (連用形) 小さく ちいさく
ちいさく
Terminal (終止形) 小さい ちいさい
Attributive (連体形) 小さい ちいさい
Key constructions
Informal negative 小さくない ちいさくない
ちいさくない
Informal past 小さかった ちいさかった
ちいさかった
Informal negative past 小さくなかった ちいさくなかった
ちいさくなかった
Formal 小さいです ちいさいです
Conjunctive 小さくて ちいさくて
ちいさくて
Conditional 小さければ ちいさければ
ちいさければ

Adjective

小(ちい)さい • (chīsai) ←ちひさい (tifisai)?-i (adverbial 小(ちい)さく (chīsaku))

  1. (of size or amount) small, little, tiny
    • 1906, Natsume Sōseki, Botchan‎:
      text
      教(きょう)師(し)は二(ふた)人(り)だ。大(おお)きい奴(やつ)と、小(ちい)さい奴(やつ)だ。
      Kyōshi wa futari da. Ōkii yatsu to, chīsai yatsu da.
      There were two teachers. A big one, and a little one.
  2. (of age) young, little

Usage notes

As an adjective directly modifying a noun, may be used largely interchangeably with 小さな (chīsana), the -na adjective form. In predicative use, only 小さい (chīsai) may be used: あれは*小さだ (are wa *chīsa da) is incorrect grammar.

Inflection

Inflection of 小さい
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形) 小さかろ ちいさかろ chīsakaro
Continuative (連用形) 小さく ちいさく chīsaku
Terminal (終止形) 小さい ちいさい chīsai
Attributive (連体形) 小さい ちいさい chīsai
Hypothetical (仮定形) 小さけれ ちいさけれ chīsakere
Imperative (命令形) 小さかれ ちいさかれ chīsakare
Key constructions
Informal negative 小さくない ちいさくない chīsaku nai
Informal past 小さかった ちいさかった chīsakatta
Informal negative past 小さくなかった ちいさくなかった chīsaku nakatta
Formal 小さいです ちいさいです chīsai desu
Formal negative 小さくないです ちいさくないです chīsaku nai desu
Formal past 小さかったです ちいさかったです chīsakatta desu
Formal negative past 小さくなかったです ちいさくなかったです chīsaku nakatta desu
Conjunctive 小さくて ちいさくて chīsakute
Conditional 小さければ ちいさければ chīsakereba
Provisional 小さかったら ちいさかったら chīsakattara
Volitional 小さかろう ちいさかろう chīsakarō
Adverbial 小さく ちいさく chīsaku
Degree 小ささ ちいささ chīsasa

Antonyms

Derived terms

References

  1. ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
  3. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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