Japanese symbol for “little”
少し
すこし
Romaji: sukoshi
a little; a bit; a small amount; a few
In Japanese, little is 少し, read すこし (sukoshi).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adv a little; a bit; a small amount; a few; some; slightly
- adv a little while; a short time; a moment; a minute
- adv a little way; a short distance
Written forms: 少し、寡し、些し. Readings: すこし.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “little”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 多少 | たしょう tashou | a little; some; somewhat |
| 少々 | しょうしょう shoushou | a little; a bit; a small amount |
| 何だか | なんだか nandaka | (a) little; somewhat; somehow |
| 少ない | すくない sukunai | few; little; small (amount) |
| 若干 | じゃっかん jakkan | some; few; a number of |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 少年 | しょうねん shounen | boy |
| 少女 | しょうじょ shoujo | girl (usu. between 7 and 17); young lady |
| 少ない | すくない sukunai | few; little; small (amount) |
| 減少 | げんしょう genshou | decrease; reduction; decline |
| 多少 | たしょう tashou | a little; some; somewhat |
See also: Chinese symbol for “little”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.