Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| छोटा | choṭā | /t͡ʃʰoː.ʈɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| क्षुद्र | kṣudra | /kʂʊd̪.ɾᵊ/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| छोट | choṭ | |
| नन्हा | nanhā | /nən.ɦɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| सगीर | sagīr |
The general term for not large is छोटा.
Which one should you use?
While छोटा is the general word for small, नन्हा carries a more poetic or endearing connotation, often used for infants or something very small and cute. क्षुद्र is a highly formal or literary term often used to mean 'insignificant' or 'trivial' rather than just physical size.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term सूक्ष्म is a formal and sophisticated way of expressing small, often used in technical contexts. The phrase छोटा-मोटा is used colloquially to describe something relatively small or of average size.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form छोटा is the masculine singular form and must change its ending to agree with the gender of the noun it modifies. When modifying a feminine noun, the form छोटा changes to छोटी. The form छोटा changes to छोटे when modifying masculine plural nouns or when used in the oblique case (e.g., before a postposition).
How do you pronounce it?
The word छोटा is pronounced /tʃʰoː.ʈɑː/ and has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In Hindi, the word for 'small' is often used to denote age or rank, such as referring to a 'younger' sibling rather than just physical size.
- The word छोटा is a cognate shared across several languages, appearing in similar forms in Nepali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Odia, Assamese and Sinhalese.
- The formal term क्षुद्र can describe something that is physically small, but it is more commonly used to describe a 'trivial' or 'petty' mindset.
Examples in context
- टॉम और मैरी एक छोटे से गाँव में बड़े हुए।Tom and Mary grew up in a small village.This sentence is useful for seeing the oblique form छोट used to describe a village.Tatoeba #8864268 by aboi, translation #8656444 by Hybrid
- बाहर एक छोटा बच्चा खड़ा है।There's a small child standing outside.This sentence shows the masculine singular form छोटा describing a child.
- वह छोटा चूहा देखा?Did you see that small mouse?This sentence shows the masculine singular form छोटा describing a mouse.Tatoeba #2046534 by sabretou, translation #1610990 by fanty
- यह मोबाइल फ़ोन बहुत छोटा है।This mobile phone is very small.
- यह उपाय सूक्ष्म परिवर्तन ला सकता है।This solution can bring about subtle changes.
- 36 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Amit and Neha are looking at apartments.
- अमित Amitयह कमरा बहुत छोटा है।Yeh kamra bahut chhota hai.This room is very small.
- नेहा Nehaहाँ, लेकिन यह सस्ता है।Haan, lekin yeh sasta hai.Yes, but it is cheap.
- अमित Amitमुझे एक बड़ा कमरा चाहिए।Mujhe ek bada kamra chahiye.I want a large room.
- नेहा Nehaचलिए कोई दूसरा छोटा घर देखते हैं।Chaliye koi doosra chhota ghar dekhte hain.Let's look at another small house.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “small” translations and entries छोटा, क्षुद्र, नन्हा, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries क्षुद्र, छोटा, नन्हा, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
