Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| nhỏ | [ɲɔ˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ɲɔ˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
| bé | [ʔɓɛ˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɓɛ˨˩˦] (Huế, narrow) |
The word nhỏ is the general term used to describe physical size, and it can also be used metaphorically to describe things like small amounts or small problems. To emphasize that something is tiny or very small, you can use the informal expression nhỏ xíu. Additionally, the informal term nhỏ nhắn is used to describe something small in a cute or endearing manner. For living things, the informal expression bé bé is often used to emphasize their small size or young age.
Which one should you use?
While both words mean small, nhỏ is the more general term for physical size and is used more frequently in neutral or formal contexts. In contrast, bé is a colloquial term often used when describing children or things that are perceived as cute or tiny.
How does it change in a sentence?
To create an emphatic meaning of "tiny" or "very small", you can add xíu to nhỏ to form nhỏ xíu.
Did you know?
- The word nhỏ shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the Pacoh word tandyóh, which means 'to drip'.
- While nhỏ describes size, it is also used as a familiar pronoun to refer to a younger sibling or a younger female friend.
- In Vietnamese, bé can function as a noun meaning 'baby' or 'young child' regardless of their actual physical size.
Examples in context
- Sân trường rất nhỏ.The schoolyard was very small.This sentence shows how to use nhỏ to describe the size of a schoolyard.Tatoeba #1573857 by trieuho, translation #240912 by CM
- Nó là một con chó nhỏ.It's a small dog.This sentence demonstrates using nhỏ to describe a dog.Tatoeba #13600446 by leucammieuvu, translation #9467574 by CK
- Tôi có một con chó nhỏ.I have a small dog.This sentence provides another example of using nhỏ with a dog.Tatoeba #14033798 by nhuttan2004, translation #13232679 by Vortarulo
- Vật dụng này nhỏ.This object is small.
- Em bé này rất nhỏ nhắn.This baby is very small and cute.
- Canh này chỉ có một chút thịt nhỏ xíu.This soup has only a tiny bit of meat.
- Cô gái nhỏ bé đang tập đàn piano.The little girl is practicing playing the piano.
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hương and Minh are looking at a house for rent.
- HươngNgôi nhà này trông thật nhỏ.This house looks really small.
- MinhNó nhỏ nhưng rất ấm cúng.It is small but very cozy.
- HươngMinh thấy nó có vừa không?Minh, do you think it's a good fit?
- MinhCó lẽ hơi nhỏ so với chúng ta.Maybe it is a bit small for us.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “small” translations and entries nhỏ, bé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bé, nhỏ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
