Inklingo

How to Say "small" in Spanish

English → Spanish

pequeño

AdjectiveA1General
Use 'pequeño' for general, physical size when describing objects, people, or animals that are not large.

Examples

Mi coche es muy pequeño.

My car is very small.

chico

/CHEE-ko//ˈtʃiko/

AdjectiveA2General, informal
Use 'chico' similarly to 'pequeño' for physical size, often implying a more informal or affectionate tone, and is common in certain regions.
A tiny, miniature red apple resting on a large wooden table, emphasizing its small size.

Examples

Mi coche es muy chico, es fácil de aparcar.

My car is very small, it's easy to park.

Compré una camisa chica porque la grande no me quedaba.

I bought a small shirt because the large one didn't fit me.

Estos problemas son chicos comparados con los de antes.

These problems are small compared to the ones before.

Matching the Noun

When you use chico to describe something, its ending must match the noun. un coche chico (a small car), una casa chica (a small house), unos zapatos chicos (small shoes), unas mesas chicas (small tables).

Forgetting to Change the Ending

Mistake: “El vestido es chico y las faldas es chico también.”

Correction: Say 'El vestido es chico y las faldas son chicas también.' The describing word (`chico/chica`) must match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the thing it describes.

cortos

KOR-tohs/ˈkoɾtos/

AdjectiveA1General
Use 'cortos' to describe things that are short in duration or quantity, such as time or resources, not physical size.
A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration showing two pencils side-by-side, one being significantly shorter than the other, illustrating the concept of short length.

Examples

Los días de invierno son muy cortos en el norte.

Winter days are very short in the north.

Necesitas unos cables más cortos para que quepan.

You need some shorter cables so they fit.

Se quedó corto de dinero para pagar la cuenta.

He fell short of money to pay the bill.

Matching the Noun

Since 'cortos' is a describing word (adjective), it must match the noun it describes. This form is used for masculine, plural things, like 'pantalones' (pants) or 'momentos' (moments).

The Four Forms

The base word is 'corto' (masculine singular). The other forms are 'corta' (feminine singular), 'cortas' (feminine plural), and 'cortos' (masculine plural).

menudo

/meh-NOO-doh//meˈnuðo/

AdjectiveA2General
Use 'menudo' to describe things that are very small in size, often referring to fine details or delicate features.
A minuscule grey mouse standing next to an enormous block of yellow cheddar cheese, emphasizing the size difference.

Examples

Las cuentas de collar eran tan menudas que casi no las veías.

The necklace beads were so tiny that you could hardly see them.

Se entretiene con cosas menudas y sin importancia.

He gets distracted by petty, unimportant things.

Matching the Noun

Like most Spanish describing words, 'menudo' must change its ending to match the thing it describes: 'menudo' (masculine singular), 'menuda' (feminine singular), 'menudos' (masculine plural), and 'menudas' (feminine plural).

Size vs. Duration/Quantity

The most common mistake is using 'pequeño' or 'chico' when you mean 'short' in time or quantity. Remember that 'cortos' is the correct word for short days or limited resources, while 'pequeño' and 'chico' refer to physical size.

Related Translations

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