Breakdown of chiisai
small
小
You see some small animals walking on hooks instead of legs.
Usages of chiisai
あの 小さい 車 は 私 の じゃ ない です。ano chiisai kuruma wa watashi no ja nai desu.
That small car is not mine.
あの 小さな 車 は 私 の じゃ ない です。ano chiisana kuruma wa watashi no ja nai desu.
That small car is not mine.
その 国 は 小さくて 暑くて きれい です。sono kuni wa chiisakute atsukute kirei desu.
That country is small, hot, and beautiful.
火山 は 小さく ありません。kazan wa chiisaku arimasen.
The volcano is not small.
ドイツ の 北 に ある 小さい 町 に 住んで いる。doitsu no kita ni aru chiisai machi ni sunde iru.
(I) live in a small town in the north of Germany.
ハムスター は 小さい です。hamusutaa wa chiisai desu.
Hamsters are small.
父 は 自分 で 小さな 小屋 を 建てました。chichi wa jibun de chiisana koya o tatemashita.
My father built a small shed by himself.
この 靴 は 小さくて 歩きづらい。kono kutsu wa chiisakute arukizurai.
These shoes are too small, so it’s uncomfortable to walk.
Test yourself: What does chiisai mean?
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Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness, and mood. For example, the polite present form adds ‑ます to the verb stem, while the past tense uses ‑ました. Unlike English, Japanese verbs don't change based on the subject — the same form works for "I", "you", and "they".
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