小
shō
One stroke for "small" runs from grade school to loose change
The picture A big lump with both sides shaved off, leaving only a small grain in the middle. 小 trims the edges until only a small middle is left; 大 opens its arms and takes up wide space.
Where the picture shows up in 小
-
the school shrunk small
娘は今年小学校に入りました。
musume wa kotoshi shō-gakkō ni hairimashita
My daughter started elementary school this year.
A classroom where every desk and chair sits a hand's width lower than an adult's
-
the clinic for small people
小児科は三階です。
shō-ni-ka wa san-kai desu
Pediatrics is on the third floor.
An exam room with a low chair and a tiny scale built to a child's height
-
money broken small
小銭はありますか。
ko-zeni wa arimasu ka
Do you have any small change?
One banknote scattered into a handful of coins on an open palm
-
the voice turned small
ここでは小声で話してください。
koko de wa ko-goe de hanashite kudasai
Please speak quietly in here.
A hand cupped at the mouth, shrinking the circle of sound to the size of one ear
-
the small dish
小皿を二枚ください。
ko-zara o ni-mai kudasai
Two small plates, please.
A palm-sized plate set beside the big serving plate on the table
Used in restaurants to ask for a plate to share from.
All of it in one picture
小 is one grain left after trimming. Shrink a school and you get elementary school; shrink the patient and you get pediatrics. Break money into small grains and it is loose change; shrink the voice and it is a whisper. Shrink the plate and it is the little side dish you keep beside the big one — so anything with 小 is the same thing, one size smaller.