小人|こびとkobito[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounlittle person (in folklore and fantasy, e.g. fairy, elf, gnome); little people; dwarf
2. nounlittle person (i.e. a person with dwarfism); dwarf; midget

• Synonym一寸法師いっすんぼうしNeutralHero of a Japanese folktale, also used figuratively for a very short person; has a fairy-tale flavor and can sound rude when said of a person.
• Synonym矮人わいじんWrittenWritten word for a person of short stature; carries discriminatory overtones and is avoided in modern usage.
• SynonymドワーフNeutralLoanword for the dwarf race of fantasy fiction; the term centers on fantasy settings.
• SynonymノームNeutralLoanword for the gnomes of European folklore, including the small garden statues.
• RelatedちびCasualColloquial word for a small person or a child, with either a scornful or an affectionate nuance; unlike 「小人」 it has no fairy-tale flavor.
• Related朱儒しゅじゅWrittenWritten word for a dwarf; also figuratively for a person of shallow insight. Discriminatory in tone and avoided today.
• RelatedちんちくりんCasualColloquial for someone short in stature, or for clothes that are too short; mocking in tone, without the fairy-tale flavor of 「小人」.
• Antonym巨人きょじんNeutralAntonym meaning a giant; the direct opposite of 「小人」.
• Antonym大男おおおとこNeutralAntonym for a big, tall man; contrasts with 「小人」 as a person of small stature.

Use 「小人」 for the little folk of fairy tales or for a person of short stature, as in 「白雪姫と七人の小人」; for fantasy dwarves say 「ドワーフ」 and for gnomes 「ノーム」. The antonyms are 「巨人」 and 「大男」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. (ショウジン、こびと)体格たいかくが小ちいさい人ひと。
2. (こびと)童話どうわなどに登場とうじょうする、体からだが極きわめて小ちいさい妖精ようせい。
3. (ショウジン、こびと)身分みぶんの低ひくいもの、小者こもの。