1Smallness — used as a noun or productive prefix meaning 'small' in compounds such as 小規模 (small-scale), 小型 (compact), and 小額 (a small amount).
この会社は小規模だが、技術力は高い。
This company is small in scale, but its technical ability is high.
小額の支払いは現金でお願いします。
Please pay small amounts in cash.
新製品は小型で持ち運びしやすい。
The new product is compact and easy to carry.
2Abbreviation for a 'short' month — one with fewer than 31 days. Usually appears as 小の月.
小の月は30日か28・29日しかない。
Short months have only 30, or 28/29, days.
古いカレンダーには『小の月』と『大の月』を区別して書いてあるものもある。
Some old calendars distinguish between 'short months' (小の月) and 'long months' (大の月).
3Abbreviation for 小学校 (elementary school) — used in grade labels like 小1 (1st grade) and 小6 (6th grade), or in shortened school names.
妹はまだ小6で、来年中学生になる。
My little sister is still in 6th grade and will become a junior high schooler next year.
この校舎はもともと市立第一小のものだった。
This school building originally belonged to the City First Elementary School.
4A prefix marking the smaller (or lesser) of two things or places sharing the same name, in contrast with 大 — often seen in place names.
同じ地名が二つある場合、規模の小さい方に『小』を付けて区別することがある。
When two places share the same name, the smaller one is sometimes marked with '小' to distinguish it.
5Used to mark the younger of two people who share the same name — a usage historically seen in family records.
古い家系図では、兄を『大』、弟を『小』と書き分けている例がある。
In old family registers, there are examples of writing the elder son as '大' and the younger as '小' to distinguish them.
6Archaic: an old unit of field area, roughly 400 square meters. Rarely used today outside historical documents.
古文書には『当村の田は十小あり』と記されている。
An old document records, 'The village's rice fields total ten shō.'