小竜
shōryū
The English phrase "little dragon" is translated into Japanese as 小竜 (shōryū).
小竜 refers to a small dragon or a young dragon.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji for 'small' (小) and the kanji for 'dragon' (竜).
Which one should you use?
小型のドラゴン specifically describes a small-sized dragon, whereas 小さいドラゴン is a common way to say "little dragon" in casual speech.
How do you pronounce it?
shōryū
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, dragons are often associated with water and rain rather than fire. A 竜 is traditionally seen as a deity that controls the seas and weather.
- While 小竜 refers to a small creature, the homophone 昇竜 'shōryū' means 'rising dragon' and is a common symbol for ambition in Japanese business.
- The kanji for 'dragon' in 小竜, 竜, is a simplified version of the traditional character 龍, which is frequently seen in more formal or ancient religious texts.
Examples in context
- この絵には可愛い小竜が描かれています。Kono e ni wa kawaii ko-ryuu ga kakarete imasu.A cute little dragon is drawn in this picture.
- 森の奥に小竜が住んでいるそうです。Mori no oku ni ko-ryuu ga sunde iru sou desu.I heard a little dragon lives deep in the forest.
Example conversation
Two siblings are looking at a fantasy toy set.
- 陽太 Yota見て！この小竜、かっこいいよ。Mite! Kono shoryu, kakkoii yo.Look! This little dragon is cool.
- 陽葵 Himari本当だね。どこから来たのかな？Honto da ne. Doko kara kita no kana?You're right. I wonder where it came from?
- 陽太 Yotaたぶん遠い森から来たんだよ。Tabun toi mori kara kita n da yo.Maybe it came from a far-off forest.
- 陽葵 Himari一緒に遊ぼうよ、陽太。Issho ni asobou yo, Yota.Let's play with it together, Yota.
