Big and Small in Japanese

Learning how to say “big” and “small” in Japanese is essential for daily communication. These adjectives are widely used in various contexts, from describing sizes and dimensions to expressing emotions and feelings. In this article, we will explore how to say “big” and “small” in Japanese, as well as some important nuances of these words in the language.

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[大] Big in Japanese

The kanji “大” (dai/ooki) represents the idea of size, volume, and importance. Its original form comes from the ancient Chinese character “大”, which depicted a man with open arms, symbolizing the idea of greatness and amplitude.

It is common to use the kanji with its pronunciation “dai” accompanied by another word to say “bigger, big, or very.” For example, “Daisuki” [大好き] means I really like, I love a lot.

How to say Big in Japanese?

The Japanese word for “big” is “大きい” (ookii). The first character “大” means “big” or “greatness,” and the second character “きい” is a suffix that indicates the adjectival form of the term.

This word has its origins in ancient Japanese and has been passed down over time as a common term to express the size or magnitude of something.

The word “大きい” is used to describe large objects, animals, and people in general size or greatness.

Words related to big in Japanese

Here are some words that can be used as synonyms for “big” in Japanese:

大規模 (daikibo) – large scale
巨大 (kyodai) – enormous
大量 (tairyō) – large quantity
大統領 (daitōryō) – president (literally, “big leader”)
雄大 (yūdai) – majestic
豪華 (gouka) – luxurious
壮大 (sōdai) – grandiose
大胆 (daitan) – bold
重要 (juuyou) – important
極大 (kyokudai) – extremely big.

[小] Small in Japanese

The kanji “小” (shou/chiisai) represents the idea of small size, inferiority, or smallness compared to something larger. Its original form is derived from the ancient Chinese character “小”, which depicted a small child.

How to say small in Japanese?

The word “小さい” (chiisai) is derived from the kanji “小” (shou), which means small, and “さい” (sai), which is a suffix that indicates the property or condition of something. This is the main way to say that something is small.

“小さい” is a word used to describe small objects, animals, and people in general smallness. The origin of this word is uncertain, but it may have originated from an ancient Japanese word meaning “thin” or “small.”

Words related to small in Japanese

小さい (chiisai) – small
小型 (shōgata) – small size
小規模 (shōkibo) – small scale
小包 (kobukuro) – small package
小指 (koyubi) – pinky finger (literally, “small finger”)
小鳥 (kotori) – little bird (literally, “small bird”)
細かい (komakai) – tiny, small and detailed
軽微 (keibi) – light, small in terms of severity
切実 (setsujitsu) – intense, but small in scale
小休止 (shōkyūshi) – short break, brief rest.

Photo by amirali mirhashemian on Unsplash

Other ways to say Small or Big in Japanese

大きな (ookina) – this is an alternative way to say “big,” which emphasizes even more the size or importance of something. For example, “大きな手紙” (ookina tegami) means “a big letter.”

小さめ (chiisame) – this is a way to say “small,” which emphasizes even more the smallness of something. For example, “小さめのカバン” (chiisame no kaban) means “a small bag.”

小型 (shougata) – this word is used to describe objects or devices of smaller or reduced size. For example, “小型カメラ” (shou-gata kamera) means “small-sized camera.”

ミニ (mini) – this is a borrowed word from English, which is used to describe something miniature or small in size. For example, “ミニチュア” (miniachua) means “miniature.”

マイクロ (maikuro) – this is another borrowed word from English, which is used to describe something of extremely small size. For example, “マイクロチップ” (maikurochippu) means “microchip.”

Medium and other sizes in Japanese

In addition to the words “big” and “small,” there are several other terms in Japanese that can be used to describe sizes and dimensions of objects, animals, people, and other things. Here are some examples:

長い (nagai) – long
短い (mijikai) – short
広い (hiroi) – wide
狭い (semai) – narrow
太い (futoi) – thick
細い (hosoi) – thin
深い (fukai) – deep
浅い (asai) – shallow
大きめ (ookime) – large size (augmentative form)
小さめ (chiisame) – small size (diminutive form)
大型 (oogata) – large size
小型 (shougata) – small size
中型 (chuugata) – medium size
ラージ (raaji) – large, borrowed from English “large”
スモール (sumooru) – small, borrowed from English “small”
ミディアム (midiamu) – medium, borrowed from English “medium”
ジャンボ (janbo) – giant, borrowed from English “jumbo”
コンパクト (konpakuto) – compact, borrowed from English “compact”

How to say if a person is short or tall?

To describe if a person is tall or short in Japanese, you can use the following words:

高い (takai) – tall
低い (hikui) – short

These words can be used to describe a person’s physical height. For example, “彼女はとても背が高い” (Kanojo wa totemo se ga takai) means “she is very tall,” while “彼は背が低い” (Kare wa se ga hikui) means “he is short.”

How to Say Big and Small in Japanese