小时
小small时time unit=hour
小
小 (xiǎo) Chinese Character: small
Tiny specks on each side — that's small!
Practice 小 in the interactive lessonChinese character story: Tiny Dots
小 shows three little marks — a center stroke with two dots on the sides, like grains of sand or specks of dust. That's "small." The tiniest things, scattered, easy to miss — yet they make up the world.
🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes
Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.
小心
小careful心attention=be careful
小心 is a fixed everyday expression.
Chinese character origin and etymology
小 is documented as a basic character form. Its earlier written forms gradually became the regular-script shape used today.
In modern simplified Chinese, 小 is written with 3 strokes. This lesson separates documented shape history from the memory story so learners do not mistake a mnemonic for a historical claim. 小 works as one complete form rather than a puzzle made from smaller modern components. Learning its overall silhouette is useful because the same shape may later appear inside more complex characters.
Chinese character stroke order and structure
小 is written with 3 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.
- 小 — small — specks of dust
Common usage and sentence patterns
The examples below show 小 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.
这只小猫很可爱。
This little cat is very cute.
我妹妹在上小学。
My younger sister is in primary school.
小心台阶。
Mind the step.
Learning tips for 小
Learn the reading as one unit: xiǎo, with the third tone: falling then rising. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “small,” and write the 3 strokes from memory.
Because 小 is a basic form, focus on its proportions and stroke direction. Compare it with 少 (shǎo, few — small (小) + a slash); 尖 (jiān, sharp — small (小) over big (大)); 尘 (chén, dust — small (小) + earth (土)). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.
Quick review checklist
- Can you recognize 小 without pinyin?
- Can you say xiǎo with the correct tone and explain “small”?
- Can you write all 3 strokes in order?
- Can you use 小 in one short sentence?
Related characters
Continue learning Chinese characters
Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.
Sources and editorial note
HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.
Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.