小 xiǎo — small; tiny; few; young
这只小猫很可爱。Zhè zhī xiǎo māo hěn kě ài.This little cat is very cute.
Common words: 小时 (xiǎo shí)、小姐 (xiǎo jie)、小学 (xiǎo xué)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "tiny"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "tiny", including 小 (xiǎo), 微 (wēi). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "tiny" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 小 (xiǎo), 微 (wēi) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span xiǎo, wēi — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 小 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 小 xiǎosmall; tiny; few; youngUseful words: 小时, 小姐
- 微 wēimicro; tiny; miniatureUseful words: 微笑, 稍微
Common words for these 2 "tiny" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 小 (xiǎo) — so "tiny" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "tiny".
微 wēi — micro; tiny; miniature
他微微地笑了一下。Tā wēi wēi de xiào le yí xià.He smiled slightly.
Common words: 微笑 (wēi xiào)、稍微 (shāo wēi)、微博 (wēi bó)
All 2 characters
Open 小、微 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.