小人

Chinese

		small; tiny; few small; tiny; few; young	man; person; people
simp. and trad. (小人)		小	人

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): xiǎorén
(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄖㄣˊ
Cantonese
(Guangzhou, Jyutping): siu² jan⁴, siu² jan^4-2
(Taishan, Wiktionary): lhiau² ngin^3*
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): séu-ngìn
Min Dong (BUC): siēu-ìng
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): siáu-jîn / siáu-lîn
(Teochew, Peng'im): siao² rêng⁵
Wu (Wiktionary): xiau nyin (T2); xiau zen (T2)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: xiǎorén
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄖㄣˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: siǎorén
  - Wade–Giles: hsiao³-jên²
  - Yale: syǎu-rén
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sheauren
  - Palladius: сяожэнь (sjaožɛnʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕjɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ ʐən³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: siu² jan⁴, siu² jan^4-2
  - Yale: síu yàhn, síu yán
  - Cantonese Pinyin: siu² jan⁴, siu² jan^4-2
  - Guangdong Romanization: xiu² yen⁴, xiu² yen^4-2
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /siːu̯³⁵ jɐn²¹/, /siːu̯³⁵ jɐn²¹⁻³⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: lhiau² ngin^3*
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬiau⁵⁵ ᵑɡin²²⁻²²⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: séu-ngìn
  - Hakka Romanization System: seu` nginˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: seu³ ngin²
  - Sinological IPA: /seu̯³¹ ɲin¹¹/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: siēu-ìng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sieu³³⁻²¹ iŋ⁵³/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siáu-jîn
  - Tâi-lô: siáu-jîn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: siawjiin
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɕiau⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ ʑin²³/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɕiau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ d͡ʑin¹³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siáu-lîn
  - Tâi-lô: siáu-lîn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: siawliin
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /ɕiau⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ lin²⁴/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /ɕiau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lin²⁴/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: siao² rêng⁵
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: siáu jêng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /siau⁵²⁻³⁵ d͡zeŋ⁵⁵/

Note: siao2 rêng5 - Jieyang.

Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: xiau nyin (T2); xiau zen (T2)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiɔ³³ n̠ʲɪɲ⁴⁴/, /ɕiɔ³³ z̥əɲ⁴⁴/

Note:

2xiau nyin - vernacular;
2xiau zen - literary.

Middle Chinese: /siᴇu^X ȵiɪn/

Rime
Character	小	人
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	心 (16)	日 (38)
Final (韻)	宵 (91)	眞 (43)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	私兆切	如鄰切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siᴇu^X/	/ȵiɪn/
Pan Wuyun	/siɛu^X/	/ȵin/
Shao Rongfen	/sjæu^X/	/ȵʑjen/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/siaw^X/	/ȵin/
Li Rong	/siɛu^X/	/ȵiĕn/
Wang Li	/sĭɛu^X/	/ȵʑĭĕn/
Bernard Karlgren	/si̯ɛu^X/	/ȵʑi̯ĕn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xiǎo	rén
Expected Cantonese Reflex	siu²	jan⁴

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*[s]ewʔ ni[ŋ]/
(Zhengzhang): /*smewʔ njin/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	小	人
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	xiǎo	rén
Middle Chinese	‹ sjew^X ›	‹ nyin ›
Old Chinese	/*[s]ewʔ/	/*ni[ŋ]/
English	small	(other) person
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	小	人
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	13705	10800
Phonetic component	小	人
Rime group	宵	眞
Rime subdivision	2	1
Corresponding MC rime	小	仁
Old Chinese	/*smewʔ/	/*njin/
Notes	甲金文象沙而指小，指事字

Noun

小人

scoundrel or villain
(archaic) person of low position
- 周道如砥、其直如矢。
  君子所履、小人所視。
  睠言顧之、潸焉出涕。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
  周道如砥、其直如矢。
  君子所履、小人所视。
  睠言顾之、潸焉出涕。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
  Zhōudào rú dǐ, qí zhí rú shǐ.
  Jūnzǐ suǒ lǚ, xiǎorén suǒ shì.
  Juàn yán gù zhī, shān yān chū tì. [Pinyin]
  The way to Zhou was like a whetstone, and straight as an arrow.
  [So] the athelings trod it, and the common people looked on it.
  When I look back and think of it, my tears run down in streams.
- 郡遣督郵至縣，吏白「應束帶見之」，潛歎曰：「吾不能為五斗米折腰，拳拳事鄉里小人邪！」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
  郡遣督邮至县，吏白“应束带见之”，潜叹曰：“吾不能为五斗米折腰，拳拳事乡里小人邪！” [Literary Chinese, simp.]
  From: 648 CE, Fang Xuanling (lead editor), Book of Jin
  Jùn qiǎn dūyóu zhì xiàn, lì bái “yīng shùdài jiàn zhī”, Qián tàn yuē: “Wú bùnéng wèi wǔ dǒu mǐ zhéyāo, quánquán shì xiānglǐ xiǎorén yé!” [Pinyin]
  The commandery sent a postal inspector to the county, and an official suggested: "You should wear formal clothes to see him." Qian sighed: "I cannot bow down for the sake of five pecks of rice and flatter a base person!"
(archaic) small-minded person or person of low moral qualities
- 小人慼，謂之不免。君子恕，以爲必歸。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  小人戚，谓之不免。君子恕，以为必归。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE
  Xiǎorén qī, wèi zhī bù miǎn. Jūnzǐ shù, yǐweí bì guī. [Pinyin]
  The small-minded are anxiety-laden, and they say that (our master) could not have been spared. The junzi treat others with mercy, and they believe that (you) will do the same and free him eventually.
(dialectal Mandarin, Wu) child; kid
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see 小,‎ 人.

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 小孩 (“child; kid”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		子, 孩, 童, 孺子, 幼
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		兒童, 小孩, 孩子, 小孩子, 小朋友, 小童, 孩童, 幼兒, 孩提
Mandarin	Beijing	小孩兒
	Taiwan	小孩, 小孩子, 小朋友
	Tianjin	小孩兒, 小巴拉子, 小嘎巴豆子 humorous, 小毛孩子, 小毛孩兒, 小屁孩兒
	Langfang	小孩兒
	Tangshan	小孩兒
	Cangzhou	小孩子
	Baoding	小孩兒
	Shijiazhuang	小孩兒
	Daming	小孩兒
	Bayanhot	娃娃
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	小孩兒
	Harbin	小孩兒, 小孩伢子, 小尕兒, 小尕子, 毛孩子, 小孩崽子, 孩崽子, 小屄崽子, 小豆包兒
	Yantai (Muping)	小孩兒, 小孩子
	Jinan	小孩兒, 孩子
	Luoyang	小孩兒, 孩子
	Wanrong	小娃, 猴娃子
	Kaifeng	小孩兒
	Xi'an	娃, 碎娃, 碎娃兒, 碎子兒
	Yinchuan	娃娃
	Lanzhou	娃娃, 尕的個, 狗娃, 尕, 壞子兒, 子子子
	Xining	娃娃家, 尕扎兒, 尕娃, 尕脬蛋
	Ürümqi	娃娃, 尕娃娃, 巴郎子, 子子子, 尕子兒, 尕子子子, 泡克子兒, 尕蹦豆兒, 尕㞞, 熱子兒
	Wuhan	小伢, 伢, 小把戲, 小蘿蔔坨, 蘿蔔坨
	Huanggang	細伢兒
	Chengdu	娃兒, 小娃兒, 娃娃, 小娃娃, 娃子, 小人, 崽崽, 崽兒
	Guiyang	娃娃, 娃兒, 小崽
	Kunming	娃娃, 小娃娃, 小鬼, 小鬼娃娃
	Guilin	把爺, 小把爺, 把爺崽
	Liuzhou	娃崽, 小娃崽
	Xuzhou	小孩兒, 小孩子, 孩子, 孩子蛋, 坷垃頭兒, 坷垃頭子, 小巴狗兒, 巴狗兒
	Yangzhou	霞子, 小霞子, 小鬼豆子, 小把戲
	Nanjing	娃兒, 娃娃, 小娃兒, 小孩兒, 孩子
	Hefei	小霞子, 伢子, 小伢子
	Nantong	伢兒, 小人兒, 小把戲, 小伢兒, 小兵瘌子, 小八瘌子, 小蘿蔔頭兒, 細伢兒
	Yanping	阿崽哥
	Malaysia	小孩子
	Singapore	小孩子, 小朋友
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	娃娃, 娃
	Masanchin (Shaanxi Dungan)	娃
Cantonese	Guangzhou	細路, 細路仔, 細佬仔, 細佬哥, 細路哥, 細蚊仔, 豆釘, 塞竇窿
	Hong Kong	細路, 細路仔, 細佬哥, 細路哥, 細蚊仔, 豆釘, 塞竇窿, 小朋友
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	細蚊仔
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	細蚊仔, 細佬仔, 細佬哥
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	細佬哥
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	細蚊仔
	Macau	細蚊仔
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	細蚊仔, 細佬仔
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	細佬哥
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	細蚊仔, 細路仔, 人仔
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	細蚊仔
	Foshan	細蚊仔, 細路仔
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	嫩蚊仔
	Foshan (Shunde)	細路哥
	Foshan (Sanshui)	細路哥
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	細蚊仔
	Zhuhai (Qianshan)	細佬哥
	Zhuhai (Doumen, Shangheng Tanka)	細路仔
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	細佬哥
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	細佬哥
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	細佬哥
	Taishan	細民仔, 細佬哥
	Kaiping (Chikan)	細民仔
	Enping (Niujiang)	細蚊仔, 細路仔
	Heshan (Yayao)	心滿仔
	Dongguan	細蚊仔, 細路哥, 細路
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	細蚊仔, 細佬哥
	Shenzhen (Dapeng)	細蚊仔
	Qingyuan	細佬哥, 細蚊仔
	Fogang	細蚊仔
	Yingde (Hanguang)	細佬哥, 細蚊仔
	Yangshan	細蚊仔, 正蚊仔
	Lianshan (Butian)	細子兒
	Shaoguan	細佬哥, 細蚊仔
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	細蚊仔, 細路哥
	Renhua	細佬哥
	Lechang	細蚊仔
	Zhaoqing (Gaoyao)	細蚊仔, 細佬哥
	Sihui	細蚊仔, 細佬哥
	Guangning	細蚊仔
	Deqing	細佬仔
	Huaiji	細蚊仔
	Fengkai (Nanfeng)	兒仔
	Yunfu	細佬哥
	Xinxing	細蚊仔
	Luoding	細蚊仔
	Yunan (Pingtai)	細佬哥
	Yangjiang	細蚊仔, 細仔
	Xinyi	儂, 細儂
	Lianjiang	細蚊仔, 細路仔
	Nanning	細鬼, 細蚊仔, 細佬哥
	Wuzhou	細路仔, 細佬哥, 蘇蝦仔
	Yulin	儂兒, 𱒃儂
	Hepu (Shatian)	儂伢
	Beihai	細蚊仔
	Beihai (Nankang)	細路哥
	Beihai (Yingpan)	儂伢兒
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	細蚊仔, 細佬哥
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà)	細蚊仔, 細佬仔
	Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)	細佬哥
	Danzhou	細儂
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	細蚊仔
	Penang (Guangfu)	細路, 細路仔
	Singapore (Guangfu)	細路, 細路仔, 細佬哥
Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	細蚊仔
Móng Cái	細蚊仔
Gan	Nanchang	細人子, 細伢子, 小朋友, 小把戲, 鬼鬼子, 小鬼, 細鬼, 孩兒
	Lichuan	伢崽兒
	Pingxiang	伢妹仔
Hakka	Meixian	細人仔, 細𧊅仔, 細鬼仔, 細佬哥, 細仔
	Xingning	細仔子
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	細佬哥, 細仔
	Huizhou (Shuikou Bendihua)	細仔
	Huizhou (Hengli Bendihua)	細仔
	Huidong (Pingshan Bendihua)	細仔
	Huidong (Daling)	阿僬仔
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	細佬哥
	Longmen (Pingling Bendihua)	阿僬仔
	Longmen (Luxi Bendihua)	僬仔
	Boluo (Bendihua)	細蚊仔哎
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	老弟仔, 老妹仔
	Zengcheng (Zhengguo)	阿僬仔
	Zhongshan (Wuguishan)	僬仔
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	僬仔
	Wuhua (Shuizhai)	細仔哩, 阿僬哩
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	細人哩, 細仔哩, 細哩, 細佬哥
	Wuhua (Changbu)	細仔哩, 阿僬哩
	Wuhua (Mianyang)	阿僬哩
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	細蚊仔, 鬼仔
	Zijin (Guzhu Bendihua)	阿僬仔, 細佬仔
	Longchuan (Tuocheng Bendihua)	細佬哥
	Longchuan (Sidu Bendihua)	細蚊仔
	Heping (Linzhai Bendihua)	細佬哥
	Lianping (Zhongxin Bendihua)	細佬哥
	Lianping (Longjie Bendihua)	細佬哥
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	細人子, 細蚊子
	Xinfeng (Matou Bendihua)	細佬哥
	Xinfeng (Daxi Bendihua)	細仔
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	細佬仔
	Liannan	細子
	Conghua (Lütian)	細仔
	Jiexi	細人
	Changting	細人哩
	Wuping	細人子
	Wuping (Pingyu)	細人子
	Liancheng	細人子
	Ninghua	大細子, 子女, 子女哩
	Yudu	細人子, 小鬼
	Ruijin	細人子
	Shicheng	大細子
	Shangyou (Shexi)	細伢子
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	細人仔, 細孲仔
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	細人仔, 細孲仔
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	細人仔, 細孲仔
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	細人, 細孲
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	細人仔, 細子人, 細孲仔
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	細子, 細子人
	Hong Kong	僬仔, 細佬哥
	Luchuan	大細兒
	Luchuan (Daqiao)	大細兒
	Sabah (Longchuan)	細蚊仔, 細佬哥
	Senai (Huiyang)	阿僬仔, 細蚊仔
	Kuching (Hepo)	細人
	Singkawang	細貨, 細人
Huizhou	Jixi	細人家, 細鬼, 妹, 細家伙
	Shexian	小人家
	Tunxi	囝, 囝仂家, 細兒囝, 細囝
	Xiuning	囝仂家
	Yixian	囝兒
	Qimen	小囝, 囝
	Wuyuan	細人家, 細人
	Dexing	嫩人家
	Jingde	小免伲
	Shitai (Xianyu)	點點們兒
Jin	Taiyuan	娃娃, 小娃娃, 小鬼
	Xinzhou	娃娃
	Hohhot	娃娃
	Zhangjiakou	小孩兒
	Handan	小孩兒
Min Bei	Jian'ou	囝仔, 囝仔人
	Jian'ou (Dikou)	囝仔
	Songxi	囝仔, 囝仔人
	Zhenghe	囝仔
	Jianyang	囝仔
	Wuyishan	囝仔
	Pucheng (Shibei)	囝仔
Min Dong	Fuzhou	兒囝, 兒囝哥, 孩兒
	Changle	兒囝
	Fuqing	兒囝, 兒囝哥, 兒囝鬼
	Yongtai	兒囝
	Gutian	傀儡囝
	Fu'an	傀儡
	Ningde	傀儡
	Shouning	傀儡
	Zhouning	傀儡, 傀儡囝
	Fuding	傀儡, 傀儡囝
	Matsu	兒囝, 兒囝哥
	Manjung (Gutian)	傀儡囝
Min Nan	Xiamen	囡仔, 囡仔儂, 細漢囝, 細漢囡仔, 囡仔兄, 囡仔疕, 囡仔栽, 小髫
	Xiamen (Tong'an)	囡仔
	Quanzhou	囡仔, 囡仔儂, 細漢囝, 細漢囡仔, 囡仔栽, 小髫
	Jinjiang	囡仔
	Hui'an	囡仔
	Yongchun	囡囝
	Zhangzhou	囡仔, 囡仔儂, 細漢囝, 細漢囡仔, 細漢的, 囡仔嬰, 囡仔囝, 囡仔疕, 囡仔栽, 囡仔包, 囡仔鬼, 小髫
	Zhangzhou (Changtai)	囡仔, 嬰仔
	Zhao'an	囡仔, 細囝仔
	Taipei	囡仔
	Taipei (Wanhua)	囡仔
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	囡仔
	Kaohsiung	囡仔, 囡仔儂, 囡仔囝
	Yilan	囡仔
	Changhua (Lukang)	囡仔
	Taichung	囡仔
	Taichung (Wuqi)	囡仔
	Tainan	囡仔, 囡仔儂, 囡仔囝
	Taitung	囡仔
	Hsinchu	囡仔
	Kinmen	囡仔
	Penghu (Magong)	囡仔
	Penang (Hokkien)	囡仔, 囡仔儂, 囡仔囝, 囝
	Singapore (Hokkien)	囡仔, 囡仔疕, 囡仔嬰, 囡仔儂, 無拉, 細囝, 小髫
	Manila (Hokkien)	囡仔
	Longyan	嬰仔儂
	Zhangping	嬰儂
	Zhangping (Yongfu)	嬰仔儂, 嬰仔
	Datian	囡仔
	Chaozhou	孥囝
	Shantou	孥囝, 細囝
	Shantou (Chenghai)	孥囝
	Shantou (Chaoyang)	孥囝
	Jieyang	孥囝, 孥囝鬼
	Haifeng	郎仔, 郎仔儂
	Bangkok (Teochew)	孥囝
	Chiang Mai (Teochew)	孥囝
	Hat Yai (Teochew)	孥囝
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	孥囝
	Penang (Teochew)	孥囝
	Singapore (Teochew)	孥囝
	Leizhou	儂囝
	Wenchang	孧囝
	Haikou	細囝, 孧囝
	Qionghai	孧囝
	Singapore (Hainanese)	孧囝
Puxian Min	Putian	阿毜, 帶囝
Min Zhong	Yong'an	囝仔倽
	Sanyuan	囝仔倽, 囝仔
	Shaxian	囝仔倽
Zhongshan Min	Shaxi (Longdu)	細蚊囝
Zhongshan Min	Sanxiang	細佬哥
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	細蚊崽, 細鬼崽, 鬼崽
Shehua	Fu'an	生仔
	Luoyuan	細仔
	Sanming	細仔
	Shunchang	細仔哥
	Hua'an	細仔
	Guixi (Zhangping)	細仔
	Chaozhou	細仔
	Fengshun	細人仔
Waxiang	Guzhang (Gaofeng)	伢子子
Wu	Shanghai	小人, 小囡, 囡, 小八臘子, 小把戲, 小赤佬, 小鬼頭, 小鬼, 小鬼三
	Shanghai (Chongming)	小囡, 小囡頭子, 小官, 小官頭子
	Shanghai (Shuangcaodun, Baoshan)	小囡
	Shanghai (Luodian, Baoshan)	小囡, 小囡兒
	Shanghai (Zhoupu, Pudong)	小囡
	Shanghai (Songjiang)	小囡, 小把戲
	Suzhou	小人, 小干, 小干兒, 小囡, 小赤佬, 小鬼
	Suzhou (Lili, Wujiang)	小百戲
	Suzhou (Shengze, Wujiang)	小百戲
	Wuxi	佬小, 小佬小, 細佬小, 小倌
	Changshu	小干, 小鬼, 小活生
	Kunshan	小干, 小鬼
	Jiaxing	小人, 小鬼頭
	Changzhou	小佬
	Liyang	細佬家
	Yixing	小佬, 細俵則, 細賊
	Danyang	小兒, 小把戲, 小鬼頭子
	Danyang (Tongjiaqiao)	小鬼
	Jingjiang	小想, 小鬼
	Jiangyin	小人, 小干, 小伢兒
	Huzhou (Shuanglin)	小把戲, 囡囡
	Hangzhou	小伢兒, 小鬼頭兒
	Shaoxing	小人, 小鬼
	Zhuji (Wangjiajing)	小人
	Shengzhou (Chongren)	小人, 小活猻, 小鬼頭
	Shengzhou (Taiping)	小人, 小活猻
	Ningbo	小人, 小小人, 小朋友, 小鬼, 小巴癩子, 小巴癩施, 小赤佬, 小癟三
	Yuyao	小人, 小囡
	Zhoushan	小人
	Huangyan	小猢猻, 小鬼
	Wenzhou	細兒, 瑣細兒, 瑣個兒, 小溜溜, 娒娒, 娒, 阿娒, 蟹飯, 小細兒
	Quzhou	小鬼, 小伢兒
	Jinhua	小個, 小人, 小干, 小個人, 小碗
	Jinhua (Tangxi)	小儂兒
	Yiwu	小干
	Yongkang	小人
Xiang	Changsha	細伢子, 細人子, 伢妹子, 伢細子, 雞屎粒子 derogatory
	Xiangtan	細人唧
	Loudi	細人唧, 細個唧, 細把戲唧
	Shuangfeng	細人唧

Antonyms

(person of low position): 大人 (dàrén)
(small-minded person): 君子 (jūnzǐ)

Derived terms

打小人 (dǎ xiǎorén)
枉作小人
犯小人
先小人後君子／先小人后君子

大人不計小人過／大人不计小人过 (dàrén bùjì xiǎorén guò)
大人不記小人過／大人不记小人过 (dàrén bù jì xiǎorén guò)
小人國／小人国

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (小人):

→ Japanese: 小(しょう)人(にん) (shōnin); 小(しょう)人(じん) (shōjin)
→ Korean: 소인(小人) (soin)
→ Vietnamese: tiểu nhân (小人)

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
小	人
しょう Grade: 1	にん Grade: 1
on’yomi

From 小 (shō, "small," "little") + 人 (nin, "human being").

Noun

小(しょう)人(にん) • (shōnin)

child, small person

Antonyms

大人(おとな) (otona)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
小	人
こ Grade: 1	ひと > びと Grade: 1
kun’yomi

From 小 (ko, "small," "little") + 人 (hito, "man"). The word hito changes to bito due to rendaku.

Noun

小(こ)人(びと) • (kobito)

dwarf

Antonyms

巨人(きょじん) (kyojin)

Derived terms

コビトカバ (kobito kaba): pygmy hippopotamus

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
小	人
しょう Grade: 1	じん Grade: 1
on’yomi

From 小 (shō, "small," "little") + 人 (jin, "human being").

Noun

小(しょう)人(じん) • (shōjin)

narrow-minded person, mean person

Antonyms

君子(くんし) (kunshi)

Derived terms

小(しょう)人(じん)閑(かん)居(きょ) (shōjin kankyo, “idle hands”)

Vietnamese

Hán tự in this term
小	人

Noun

小人

chữ Hán form of tiểu nhân (“jerk”).