Small in Spanish: Meaning, Pronunciation and Usage
What is Small in Spanish
Small in Spanish is masculine “pequeño” and feminine “pequeña”.
It is one of the most common adjectives used in an effort. This word is also used to define objects, human beings, or ideas by size.
Use it fondly or lovingly, particularly when used to speak of small children or things.
Example:
Mi hermano pequeño. (My little brother.)
Meta Description: Learn about Spanish pronunciation for meaning and use of “small” as object, human being, or sizes for everyday use.
Pronunciation of Pequeño
It is spoken peh-KEH-nyoh.
Breakdown:
Pe → peh
que → keh
ño → nyoh
Say it smoothly. For the feminine, say peh-KEH-nyah.
Gender and Number
It doesn’t also agree with the gender and number of the noun it’s modifying.
Pequeña feminine singular (The little flower – La flor pequeña)
Pequeños masculine plural (The little boys – Los niños pequeños)
Pequeñas feminine plural (The little houses – Las casas pequeñas)
Diminutive Forms of Small
Spanish diminutives are used primarily to describe nouns as naughty/sweet or nice. You use -ito or -ita for “little” or “very little.” Use it when you wish to indicate it as a noun.
Examples:
Dog → little dog (perrito)
House → little house (casita)
Boy → sweet little boy or little boy (niñito)
They are little words of little-ness or of affection with less derogatory taste.
Tengo una casita de campo. (I have a little country house.)
Other Little Spanish Words
Besides pequeño, other little Spanish words used to refer to off-the-beaten-track situations are:
Chico / Chica – little, young, or small (used more in Latin America)
Menudo / Menuda – very little or very small in size (used more in Spain)
Minúsculo / Minúscula – minute or very little
Diminuto / Diminuta – very little
Also Read: Pink in Spanish: Definition, Pronunciation, and Usage
Examples
Un pueblo pequeño. (A small town.)
Una chica menuda. (A little girl.)
Muy pequeño. (Very small.)
Comparing Sizes
Pequeño is also used to compare with:
Más pequeño que – smaller than
Menos pequeño que – less small than
El más pequeño – the smallest
Those are used most often in discussing size comparison or two objects.
Normal Objects with Pequeño
The below are some of the most widely used normal objects to be used as pequeño in Spanish:
Un pueblo pequeño (a small town)
Un problema pequeño (a small problem)
Cultural Note
Spanish cultures also employ words such as pequeño in order to express affection, too. When the speaker utters mi pequeño or mi pequeña, essentially what he or she means is “my little one” or “my sweetheart.”
Example
Ven aquí, mi pequeño.
(Come here, my little one.)
It’s a warm and affectionate word to utter when talking to kids, animals, or close individuals.
Pequeño in Idioms and Phrases
Some of the idiomatic expressions that have derived from pequeno are:
El mundo es un pañuelo. (The world is little.)
Pequeño pero poderoso. (Little but powerful.)
These are only one example of how Spanish employs “little” not just to refer to the size of the body, but also to refer to significance and feeling.
Spanish adjective pequeno is also one of the first two that you will be studying and one of the easiest to practice using as an example. You can use it when you are comparing, cute-ness, or talking about something small in your own life.
Remember:
Pequeño is masculine.
Pequeña is feminine.
It takes on the same natural and soft tone when speaking of love.
The next time you notice something little and cute, call it what nature called it:
Es pequeño. (It’s small.)
FAQs
How to pronounce pequeño?
It’s peh-KEH-nyoh.
How to say “very small” in Spanish?
Say muy pequeño or diminutives like pequeñito.
How would you spell “little house” in Spanish?
You would spell casita or casa pequeña to “little house.”
