small

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 小 conveys smallness; its kun-reading is ちいさい and its on-reading is しょう.
• Basic usage: 小さい(ちいさい) means small, while 小説(しょうせつ) means a novel.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• An adjective of size and a type of literary work
  • 小さい describes the size of flowers or a box. The past form 小さかった means was small.
  • 小説 as a whole word identifies a novel as a type of work. In 短い小説, initial 短い adds that the novel is short.