小刀|こがたなkogatana[2]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. noun(small) knife
2. nounshort sword; small sword

• SynonymナイフNeutralLoanword for a knife and the everyday default; leans toward Western-style knives and table knives, and feels more modern than 「小刀」.
• Synonym短刀たんとうWrittenWritten word for a short blade, typically a short Japanese sword; as a weapon it carries a sharper, more lethal feel than 「小刀」.
• Synonym匕首あいくちWrittenWritten word for a dagger, specifically one without a hand guard; it reads as a weapon rather than a tool like 「小刀」.
• Related包丁ほうちょうNeutralEveryday word for a kitchen knife, made for cutting and preparing food; it names a specialized cooking tool, whereas 「小刀」 is a general small blade.
• Related刀かたなNeutralMeans swords, especially the Japanese katana, and also scalpels or chisels; works in both speech and writing, while 「小刀」 is just a small blade.
• Related出刃でばNeutralShort for 「出刃包丁」: a heavy kitchen knife with a thick spine, used for dressing fish; a type of 「包丁」, not a general small blade.
• Related九寸五分くすんごぶWrittenWritten term for a dagger whose blade measures nine sun five bu; a self-defense weapon with an underworld flavor.
• Related出刃包丁でばぼうちょうNeutralFull name of the deba: a Japanese-style kitchen knife with a thick spine, used for killing and dressing fish; a specialized 「包丁」.
• Related短剣たんけんWrittenWritten word for a short, double-edged sword or dagger; also means the hour hand of a clock — a different sense from 「小刀」.
• RelatedどすCasualColloquial slang for a blade used to stab people; carries a strong gangster flavor, far grittier than the neutral 「小刀」.

Use 「小刀」 for a small blade, as in 「小刀で鉛筆を削る」, or for a samurai's short sword. In everyday speech 「ナイフ」 is the usual word; for cooking say 「包丁」; for short blades used as weapons, 「短刀」 and 「匕首」 are the written choices.

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

1. 小ちいさい刀かたな。
2. 武士ぶしが腰こしにさしている大小だいしょう二に本ぽんの刀かたなで小ちいさい方ほうの刀かたな。脇差わきざし。