小～
こ～ · ko～ · JLPT N2 · noun
small
🐜 小 = three tiny dots; say ko like the start of koala, a small animal
Its shape is three tiny dots, like specks of sand. Put it before a noun to mean small, as in 小猫 (koneko, small cat).
小 — three small strokes around a central vertical
小 is a pictograph originally showing three tiny dots or specks, suggesting small particles or grains. Over time the dots became stylized strokes flanking a central line. The core meaning 'small' has stayed remarkably stable from oracle bone script to today.