Meanings
Prefix
1. small; little; slight
2. slightly less than; just about
3. somewhat; somehow
4. minor; petty
sometimes derogatory
Alt. forms
Pitch accent
Used in vocabulary (183 in total)
small bird; little bird
10th month of the lunisolar calendar (traditional first month of winter, approx. November); late autumn; late fall
light snow
belle; (town) beauty
retail
wheat
Heian era court lady's song (accompanying men's oouta); court lady singing a kouta; ditty; ballad; kyogen kouta; style of kyogen song based on the Muromachi songs, often love ballad
koban; small oval gold coin used in the Edo period; oval; elliptical; small size (of paper)
small pine; young pine
young girl; lass; adolescent female
just before noon; late-morning snack
young priest; scamp
hut; cabin; shed; one's own house
ripple (on water); wavelets
Dorcus rectus (species of stag beetle)
path; lane
hill; knoll
small window; fenestella; scuttle (type of hatch on a ship)
clave-like folk instrument; two bamboo pieces beaten together
hyuganatsu (species of citrus, Citrus tamurana)
komaru (type of playing cards)
baby trout; troutling
imp; elf; pixie; goblin; devilkin
(arch.) small cedar; thin Japanese paper (used as tissue during the Edo period)
tenant farming
wheat flour
(young) seductress; temptress; little devil; imp
impudence; cheekiness; impertinence
stylish; smart; chic; (arch.) conceited; (arch.) cheeky
fine wrinkles; crow's feet
intimate friend; close friend; bosom buddy; chum
overhear; happened to hear that
shrimp (infraorder Caridea); small shrimp, prawn or lobster
small bucket
little tern (the official bird of Chiba); sterna albifrons
small woman; young woman; young maid
small build; small stature; petite; small pattern
small; small-sized; small-scale; miniature
mincing; chopping finely; short and repeated (movements) (e.g. trembling, stepping quickly); gradual; bit by bit
pebble
(noble's) page
accessories; small articles; minor character; small fry; weak one
small bottle
small room; closet; cubicle; booth; stall
smallish; on the small side; somewhat small; short swing of a bat, racquet, etc.
small change; coins; small sum of money
to look down on; to treat with contempt; to treat disparagingly; to sneer at
under one's arm; (in) the armpit
gauntlet (used in Kendo); bracer; fencing glove
skirmish; brush (with the enemy); small fight with a military enemy; squabble; quarrel; brief argument
forearm
small man
twig; spray
nearly one hour
small tool; gadget; (stage) properties; prop; prop master
neat; trim; tidy; pretty
small hill; low hill; hillock
light rain; drizzle
short sleeved kimono (worn as an undergarment during the Heian period); padded silk garment
young person; servant; errand boy in a samurai family; person of lowly status
small hawk or falcon (used for hunting); falconry (using small hawks or falcons)
kouta; traditional ballad accompanied by shamisen
dancing or jumping for joy
small grain; small stature or ability
tip of the hand; (use of) one's hands; cheap trick; superficial wit; cheap; makeshift (e.g. measures)
small theatre; kabuki performed in a small theatre; little performance; short acted scene; act
subdivision
small village; hamlet
tight turn; adaptability; flexibility; maneuverability
sentiment; feeling
sentiment; feeling
(apportioning) in small amounts
a small force
delicate technique (in sumo, judo, etc.); little trick; subtle maneuver
small restaurant; eating house
trifling matter; urination; urine
accessory case
small number of people
small number of people
small saucepan; small pot
areole
Indian summer (around November); mild late autumn weather; mild late fall weather
teaspoon
petty official
change purse
one's son; you little bastard; you little brat
small insect; midge; vermicule
wheat field
head of an organizational section; head of an organisational section
small build; small stature
fine pattern
skillful; clever; versatile; handy
little shop; small shop; small store
small build; small size
small gate; side gate; wicket gate; side door
short steps; mincing stride; crotch; groin; thigh
small tatami room; extension of the main room of a home (in traditional palatial-style architecture); room smaller than four and a half tatami (in tea ceremony)
lowercase letter; small letter
small and simple home
small businessman; petty trader
small tiger; light drinker; occasional drinker
small hand drum
small garden; small place
fool; someone beneath one's contempt
Little New Year (festival held on January 15); 14th-16th days of the first month of the year; Koshogatsu
quibble; pointless argument
small piece (e.g. of cloth)
clever; smart
small room
raised tatami-floored seating area (usu. in a Japanese restaurant); small separate dining room
small bag; small satchel
cleverness
mincing steps
small tengu; promising young martial arts practitioner
nearly half a day; approximately half a day
light or fine rain; drizzle
koshinbun (type of early Meiji-era newspaper); minor journal; local newspaper
small administrative unit (of a village)
subheading; subtitle
lock of hair (on the side of the head)
waist
wrestler of the fourth highest rank
parcel; package
a small business
small; narrow; single-breadth cloth (approx. 36 cm wide)
casual dish (esp. Japanese food); simple dish
small portion; small serving
laths; bamboo lathing; short kyogen dance, danced to chanted accompaniment
small chair
delicate flavor; subtle feeling; subtlety; delicacy
small plank; piece of wood
a little stylish; chic; trendy
Little Edo; town or neighbourhood with an old townscape reminiscent of Edo
young elephant; baby elephant
recovering slightly; making a small rally
3-4 point (in go); komoku
sounding someone out; putting out a feeler; testing the waters; small jackpot (esp. pachinko)
mild late autumn day (around November); mild late fall day
small roof (e.g. over the first storey of a building, a window, an attached shed or veranda, etc.); overhang
childish reaction (like that of an elementary school student); unsophisticated reaction
small eggplant; Japanese yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia japonica)
undulating melodic ornamentation or embellishment, esp. in folk and popular songs; unit of timber measurement
small strap tied at the waist of a hanpi
sneak thief
warp rib weave cotton fabric (from Kokura)
starting field not containing any 20-point cards (in hanafuda)
armlock throw; forearm throw
retail price
unloading a barge; small pieces of fried tofu; palanquin that carried guests to and from the red light district
neap tide
chopping finely; slicing up finely; something chopped up finely
first verse of a nursery rhyme sung by children on cold days (similar to "It's Raining, It's Pouring")
small mark; small target
lively or quick witted person
lively or quick witted person
falconry (using small hawks or falcons)
(arch.) small purification wand; thinly cut hemp or paper mixed with rice (scattered as an offering to the gods)
moon on the night before a full moon; moon on the 14th day of the month (by the lunar calendar)
dimness; dimly lit place
spindle tree; euonymus alatus f. ciliatodentatus
garden maple; komine maple; acer micranthum
Siebold maple; acer sieboldianum
neat; tidy; trim
it is wiser to make money steadily over time; light gains make heavy purse; (lit.) better small takings than a large win
the 83 new LDP members of parliament elected in the Sept. 2005 general election; (lit.) children of (Junichiro) Koizumi
Reticulum (constellation); the Reticle
Typha orientalis
red-cheeked myna (Sturnus phillippensis); violet-backed starling
Kodaira dimension
minor fluctuations (e.g. in a market); small movements
doing or saying something a little stupid
small girl
prop master; property master
walking with short steps; (arch.) errand boy
Edo-period small-size single-sheet prints containing puzzles, short stories, etc.; Edo-period playbills
small two-wheeler (e.g. moped)
Chinese chive; garlic chive (Allium tuberosum)
approximately thirty minutes
young man (who has recently undergone his manhood ceremony)
small butterfly
small drink; small amount of alcohol