小
The 小 radical
Small
Variants: ⺌
Memory hook
Three tiny grains falling. On top of a character it flattens to ⺌: 尖 (pointed) is small above and big below; 少 (few) is small plus one more stroke.
The 小 radical (read xiǎo) means small. The HSK 3.0 data contains 7 characters and 83 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 小 radical
Study this radical's 83 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 小 radical
7 charactersHSK 1· 2 characters
HSK 1小
small, little
少
few, little
HSK 4· 1 characters
HSK 4尚
still, yet
HSK 5· 2 characters
HSK 5尔
you (second-person pronoun, used in spoken language or classical texts)
尝
taste
HSK 6· 1 characters
HSK 6尖
pointed, sharp
HSK 7-9· 1 characters
HSK 7-9尘
dust
Vocabulary with the 小 radical
83 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 小 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (46/83 words of this radical).
how much, how many
small, little
young lady, miss
primary school, elementary school
primary school student
child, kid
hour (unit of time)
little friend, kid
few, little
quite a few; not a few
primary and secondary schools
from childhood; since young
size
in a low voice; quietly
careful; cautious
in childhood; when one was young
small group
novel
to lack; to be short of
at least
to reduce, to decrease
young fellow, lad
snack food
small-scale, compact
short and small; stunted
to shrink, to reduce
noble, lofty
occasionally
thief, burglar
taste
try, test
timid, cowardly
less than; smaller than
tip; gratuity
wheat
children, youngsters
pointed, sharp
by accident, inadvertently
Buddhist monk
to taste, to sample
largely the same with minor differences
to be alarmed, to fuss excessively over trivial things
the streets and alleys (meaning everywhere, all over the place)
clown, circus comedian
petty person, mean person
residential area, housing complex
Why learn vocabulary by the 小 radical?
The 小 radical hints at the meaning small. When you meet an unfamiliar character carrying it, you already know part of its meaning before reaching for a dictionary — which is why learners who know their radicals move faster.
How to study: read the memory hook, skim the 7 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 83 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.