chiisai hibi ga aru.

small

Breakdown of chiisai hibi ga aru.

• が: subject particle
• ある: to exist/have
• ひび: a crack in pottery

Questions & Answers about chiisai hibi ga aru.

How is this sentence read out loud?

It is read:

chiisai hibi ga aru

A more natural Japanese written form would usually be:

小さいひびがある。

The spaces are just there to help learners read it.

What does ひび mean here?

Here, ひび means a crack or a small fissure.

For example, it could refer to:

• a crack in glass
• a crack in a wall
• a crack in pottery

So 小さいひび means a small crack.

Why is 小さい used before ひび?

小さい is an i-adjective, and i-adjectives can directly modify nouns.

So:

• 小さい = small
• ひび = crack
• 小さいひび = a small crack

This works just like:

• 大きい犬 = a big dog
• 新しい本 = a new book

Could this also be 小さなひび instead of 小さいひび?