小
xiao/ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/
In Chinese, the abbreviation 'jr' (junior) is expressed as 小 (xiao).
The term 小 is used to distinguish a son who has the same name as his father.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is xiao. The IPA is /ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/.
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, using 小 before a name can sometimes be perceived as patronizing or condescending if the speaker is not senior in rank or age to the person being addressed.
- While 小 is used for 'junior' in names, it is also used as a prefix to create affectionate nicknames for younger friends or colleagues, regardless of their family name.
- The character 小 may have originated as a pictogram representing three tiny granules of sand.
Examples in context
- 他在回家路上遇到了小萨米·戴维斯先生。He met Sammy Davis, Jr. on his way home.This sentence shows how to use 小 to refer to a person named Sammy Davis, Jr.Tatoeba #1397321 by mtdot, translation #295106 by CN
- 小布什Bush Jr. (George W. Bush)This is an example of using 小 for Bush Jr.
- 但是,我建議你乘 JR 的成田特急(每三十分鐘至一個小時就有一班列車從機場開出),不用轉車這麼麻煩。However, I recommend that you take the JR Narita Express (a train leaves every 30-60 minutes from the airport), to avoid the complexity of changing trains.This sentence uses the English abbreviation JR in a different context regarding train lines, unrelated to the name suffix.Tatoeba #427001 by nickyeow, translation #53587 by AlanF_US
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a mutual acquaintance's son.
- 佳怡 Jiayi他的儿子也叫罗伯特吗?Tā de érzi yě jiào Luóbótè ma?Is his son also named Robert?
- 伟 Wei是的,所以大家都叫他小罗伯特。Shì de, suǒyǐ dàjiā dōu jiào tā Xiǎo Luóbótè.Yes, so everyone calls him Robert Jr.
- 佳怡 Jiayi这样就很容易区分他们两个了。Zhèyàng jiù hěn róngyì qūfēn tāmen liǎng gè le.That makes it easy to tell the two of them apart.
- 伟 Wei没错,小罗伯特性格更活泼一些。Méicuò, Xiǎo Luóbótè xìnggé gèng huópō yīxiē.Exactly, Robert Jr. has a more lively personality.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 小, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 小, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.