Smallness; used as a prefix or noun to indicate something is small or of small scale.
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.
Abbreviation for a 'short' month (a month with fewer than 31 days); often seen in the phrase '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.
カレンダーには『小の月』と『大の月』で区別しているものもある。
Some calendars distinguish between 'small months' and 'large months'.
Abbreviation for elementary school (小学 / 小学校); used as a prefix referring to primary/elementary level.
来年から息子は小に通う予定だ。
My son is scheduled to attend elementary school starting next year.
小の運動会は来週行われます。
The elementary school's sports day will be held next week.
学校名の略称で『小』と表記されている。
The school name is abbreviated with '小'.
Used as a prefix to indicate the smaller of two things or places with the same name (contrastive 'small' vs. 'large').
同じ町名が二つある場合、『小』は小さい方の町を示すことがある。
When there are two towns with the same name, '小' may indicate the smaller one.
地図では旧村落を『小』、新しい方を『大』と区別している。
On the map the old settlement is labeled '小' and the newer one '大' to distinguish them.
Used to mark the younger of two people with the same name (a suffix indicating junior/younger).
父と子で同じ名前のとき、子の名前の前に『小』を付けて区別することがある。
When father and son share the same name, the son is sometimes distinguished by putting '小' before his name.
古い家系図では兄を『大』、弟を『小』と書いている例がある。
Old family registers sometimes write the elder as '大' and the younger as '小'.
Archaic: a historical unit of field area (approximately 400 square meters); rarely used today.
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 has ten shō of rice fields.'