చిన్న
cinna/t͡ɕinːa/
The English word "little" is translated into Telugu as చిన్న (cinna).
చిన్న is used to describe something that is small in physical size.
Meaning: small in size (adj)
Which one should you use?
Use చిన్న when you are referring specifically to physical size. If you want to express a small amount of something (a quantifier), you should use the related forms కొంచెం or కొంత instead.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective చిన్న is invariant, meaning it does not change its form depending on the gender or number of the noun it is modifying.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is cinna (/tɕinːa/).
Did you know?
- If you call someone 'little' using చిన్న in a social context, it might be perceived as describing their status or importance rather than their physical height.
- The word చిన్న traces its roots back to the Proto-South Dravidian reconstruction *kil.
- The spelling of చిన్న involves a geminate consonant, meaning you must linger on the 'n' sound longer than a standard English 'n'.
Examples in context
- ఆ పిల్లవాడు ఒక చిన్న రాక్షషుడుThat kid is a little demon.This sentence shows how to use చిన్న to describe a small demon.Tatoeba #7216956 by bharath, translation #1848706 by Spamster
- చిన్న ఇల్లుA small house
- నా దగ్గర ఒక చిన్న పుస్తకం ఉంది.naa daggara oka chinna pustakam undi.I have a small book.
- ఆ ఇల్లు చాలా చిన్నది.aa illu chaala chinnadi.That house is very small.
Example conversation
Venkat and Kavya are looking at a new house.
- వెంకట్ Venkatఈ ఇల్లు చాలా చిన్నది కదా?ee illu chaala chinnadi kada?This house is very small, isn't it?
- కావ్య Kavyaఅవును, ఇది ఒక చిన్న ఇల్లు.avunu, idi oka chinna illu.Yes, it is a small house.
- వెంకట్ Venkatకానీ ఇది చాలా అందంగా ఉంది.kaanee idi chaala andangaa undi.But it is very beautiful.
- కావ్య Kavyaనిజమే, నాకు ఇది నచ్చింది.nijame, naaku idi nachindi.True, I liked it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “little” translations and entries చిన్న, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries చిన్న, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
