small

Origin & mnemonic

The small radical originates from a pictograph representing three tiny objects placed close together or three grains of millet, gradually becoming an abstract symbol for the concept of smallness.

Mnemonic: Three small strokes stacked vertically like tiny millet grains symbolize "small".

• 小xiǎo🔊

  small

  HSK 1

  3 strokes

• 少shǎo🔊

  few

  HSK 1

  4 strokes

• 尐jié🔊

  (literary) few

  4 strokes

• 尔ěr🔊

  thus

  5 strokes

• 尓ěr🔊

  variant of 爾|尔[er3]

  5 strokes

• 尕gǎ🔊

  little (dialect)

  5 strokes

• 尖jiān🔊

  pointed; tapering; sharp

  HSK 6

  6 strokes

• 尘chén🔊

  dust

  6 strokes

• 尗shū🔊

  old variant of 菽[shu1]

  6 strokes

• 尚shàng🔊

  still

  HSK 7

  8 strokes

• 尙shàng🔊

  variant of 尚, still

  8 strokes

• 尝cháng🔊

  to taste; to try (food)

  HSK 5

  9 strokes

• 尜gá🔊

  toy formed of a spindle with two sharp ends

  9 strokes