小さい

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Japanese

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

Etymology

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*/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 (tsubu, small round thing, such as a grain of rice).[1]

Pronunciation

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  • Tokyo pitch accent of inflected forms of 「小さい
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Stem forms
Continuative (連用形) 小さく いさく
いさ
[chíꜜìsàkù]
[chìísáꜜkù]
Terminal (終止形) 小さい いさ [chìísáꜜì]
Attributive (連体形) 小さい いさ [chìísáꜜì]
Key constructions
Informal negative 小さくない いさくない
いさくない
[chíꜜìsàkùnàì]
[chìísáꜜkùnàì]
Informal past 小さかった いさかった
いさかった
[chíꜜìsàkàttà]
[chìísáꜜkàttà]
Informal negative past 小さくなかった いさくなかった
いさくなかった
[chíꜜìsàkùnàkàttà]
[chìísáꜜkùnàkàttà]
Formal 小さいです いさいです [chìísáꜜìdèsù]
Conjunctive 小さくて いさくて
いさくて
[chíꜜìsàkùtè]
[chìísáꜜkùtè]
Conditional 小さければ いさければ
いさければ
[chíꜜìsàkèrèbà]
[chìísáꜜkèrèbà]

Adjective

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

  1. (of size or amount) small, little, tiny
    • text
      (きょう)()(ふた)()だ。(おお)きい(やつ)と、(ちい)さい(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

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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*小さ (are wa *chīsa da) is incorrect grammar.

Inflection

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Antonyms

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Derived terms

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References

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  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