ookii-vs-chiisai

おおきい and ちいさい are two of the very first adjectives Japanese learners encounter — and for good reason. They appear everywhere: describing physical objects, people, sounds, amounts, differences, and even emotions. But while the basics seem simple, native speakers use these words in ways that go beyond just “big” and “small.” This guide walks you through every key use, including some figurative expressions that will elevate your Japanese to a more natural level.

Yuka

Rei, my teacher mentioned おおきい and ちいさい today. What’s the difference?

Rei

Great question! Both come up a lot in everyday Japanese. The trick is knowing which context calls for which — let me show you!

At a Glance: おおきい vs. ちいさい

おおきい (大きい) — Big, Large, and Loud

おおきい means big or large in size. The kanji 大 is one of the most fundamental characters in Japanese — you will see it in 大学 (daigaku — university), 大人 (otona — adult), and 大丈夫 (daijoubu — okay / no problem). Beyond physical size, おおきい is also used for sounds and abstract scale.

Example 1 — physical size:

あの山はとても大きい。
Ano yama wa totemo ookii.
That mountain is very big.

Example 2 — sound / voice:

もっと大きい声で話してください。
Motto ookii koe de hanashite kudasai.
Please speak in a louder voice.

Example 3 — abstract scale:

その決断は大きな影響を与えた。
Sono ketsudan wa ookina eikyou wo ataeta.
That decision had a big impact.

Yuka

I see… so context really matters with おおきい? It’s not just about the literal meaning?

Rei

Right! Japanese often works that way. おおきい especially has nuances that go beyond a direct translation — keep that in mind.

ちいさい (小さい) — Small, Little, and Quiet

ちいさい is the direct opposite of おおきい. It covers physical smallness, quiet sounds, and small-scale abstract ideas. The kanji 小 also appears in 小学校 (shougakkou — elementary school), 小説 (shousetsu — novel), and 少し (sukoshi — a little).

Example 1 — physical size:

このアパートはちいさい。
Kono apaato wa chiisai.
This apartment is small.

Example 2 — sound / voice:

彼女は小さい声で話した。
Kanojo wa chiisai koe de hanashita.
She spoke in a quiet / small voice.

Example 3 — abstract (difference):

その差はとても小さい。
Sono sa wa totemo chiisai.
That difference is very small.

Yuka

Got it. And ちいさい — is that the opposite, or more like a different usage?

Rei

More of a different usage! ちいさい carries its own feel. Comparing them together like this is actually the fastest way to master both.

大きな and 小さな — The Prenominal Forms

One feature unique to おおきい and ちいさい is that they have an alternative prenominal form (used only before nouns): 大きな (ookina) and 小さな (chiisana). These forms feel slightly softer or more literary than the standard い-adjective forms.

Both forms are correct and interchangeable before nouns. The ～な form cannot be used predicatively (you cannot say 声が大きな), so use the standard おおきい / ちいさい when the adjective follows the noun.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Conjugation Reference

Decision Flowchart: おおきい or ちいさい?

Are you describing size, volume, or scale?
               |
               v
Is it BIG / LARGE / LOUD?
        |              |
       YES             NO (small/quiet/minor)
        |              |
        v              v
     おおきい         ちいさい
    (大きい)          (小さい)

Before a noun? You may also use:
    大きな (ookina)   小さな (chiisana)

Predicate position only:
    大きい / 小さい (NOT 大きな / 小さな)

Quick Quiz — Test Yourself!

Yuka

I think I’ve finally got it! Let’s take the quiz to be sure.

Rei

Perfect confidence check! Let’s go — you’ve got this!

Choose おおきい or ちいさい for each sentence.

Q1. Tokyo is a big city.
東京は＿＿＿都市だ。
Toukyou wa ___ toshi da.

Answer: おおきい (ookii) — 大きい
Reason: Tokyo is described by its large scale as a city.

Q2. My room is small.
私の部屋は＿＿＿。
Watashi no heya wa ___.

Answer: ちいさい (chiisai) — 小さい
Reason: The adjective comes after the noun in predicate position, so ちいさい (not ちいさな) is correct.

Q3. Please turn down the volume (make it smaller/quieter).
音を＿＿＿くしてください。
Oto wo ___ku shite kudasai.

Answer: ちいさ (chiisa-) → 小さくしてください
Reason: The ～くする pattern (make it ~) uses the adverb form: 小さく + する = to make it smaller/quieter.

Q4. He made a big decision.
彼は＿＿＿な決断をした。
Kare wa ___na ketsudan wo shita.

Answer: 大きな (ookina)
Reason: Before the noun 決断 (ketsudan — decision), both 大きい and 大きな are correct; 大きな is slightly more natural in this abstract, literary sense.

Q5. That problem is bigger than I thought.
その問題は思ったより＿＿＿。
Sono mondai wa omotta yori ___.

Answer: おおきい (ookii) — 大きい
Reason: Predicate position (after より in a comparison), so the standard form おおきい is required.

Related Articles

Interested in more quantity and scale vocabulary? Check out our guide on おおい vs. すくない (many vs. few):

あわせて読みたい

ooi-vs-sukunai おおい (ooi) and すくない (sukunai) are the Japanese words for "many/much" and "few/little" — but they behave differently from their English counterparts in ...

And for maximum vs. minimum expressions in Japanese, see our guide on さいだい vs. さいしょう:

＼ Learn Japanese with a personal native teacher!／

あわせて読みたい

saidai-vs-saishou What's the difference between 最大 (saidai) and 最小 (saishou)? Both words deal with scale and quantity, but they sit at opposite ends of the spectrum. If yo...