JLPT N5 kanji. Readings, meaning, and how the character is built.
小 means small. It is a JLPT N5 kanji written in 3 strokes, read こ or しょう. It is a pictograph: the character began as a picture of the thing itself, so it does not break down into smaller parts. It appears in 小さい (small / little) and 小さな (small / little).
小 is written in 3 strokes, in the order numbered below. Order matters: it is what makes handwriting legible, and it is how the character is looked up in a paper dictionary.
小 is a pictograph. It is not built from smaller parts: the character is a picture of the thing itself, which is why it cannot be broken down further.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 小さい | ちいさい | small / little |
| 小さな | ちいさな | small / little |
| 小鳥 | ことり | small bird |
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