小さな

Japanese

Kanji in this term
小
ちい Grade: 1
kun'yomi

Etymology

Appears starting from the Muromachi period (室(むろ)町(まち)時(じ)代(だい) (Muromachi jidai), c. 1336–1573). Derived as the -na adjective construction of -i adjective 小(ちい)さい (chīsai, “small, little”), which see for more.

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ちいさな [chíꜜìsànà] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]^[2]^[3]
IPA^(key): [t͡ɕiːsa̠na̠]

Adnominal

小(ちい)さな • (chīsana) ^{←ちひさな (tifisana)^?}

synonym of 小さい (chīsai, “small”) (all senses)
Antonym: 大(おお)きな (ōkina)

小(ちい)さな本(ほん)屋(や) ― chīsana hon'ya ― a small bookstore

小(ちい)さな声(こえ) ― chīsana koe ― a quiet voice

小(ちい)さな被(ひ)害(がい)で済(す)む
chīsana higai de sumu
to end up with minor damage

小(ちい)さな時(とき)からの友(ゆう)人(じん)
chīsana toki kara no yūjin
friend from when I was little

Usage notes

Only used to modify a noun attributively. In all other uses, only 小(ちい)さい (chīsai) may be used; for example,
*小(ちい)さだ。 ― Chīsa da. ― It is small. (predicative use)

*小(ちい)さに見(み)える。 ― Chīsa ni mieru. ― It looks small. (adverbial use)

are incorrect, and must be

小(ちい)さい。 ― Chīsai. ― It is small.

小(ちい)さく見(み)える。 ― Chīsaku mieru. ― It looks small.
See 大(おお)きな (ōkina) and 可笑(おか)しな (okashina), which have the same rules of use.

Derived terms

小(ち)っちゃな (chitchana)

References

^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (2016), NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典 (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
^ Yamada, Tadao et al., editors (2020), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Eighth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN