小说
HSK 4 (exam 2025)HSK 2 (2021)Old HSK 4
小说 (xiǎoshuō) · novel
小说 (xiǎoshuō) means “novel; fiction”. It is written with 2 characters: 小 (small) + 说 (to speak). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 小说 is built
The characters
小 xiǎo · small
What 小 is made of
- 亅 — hook
- 八bā — eight
Origin hint: Dividing 八 by a line 亅 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
说 shuō · to speak
What 说 is made of
- 讠yán — speech
- 兑duì — cash
- 丷ha — kwukyel
- 丶 — dot
- 兄xiōng — elder brother
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 儿ér — child
- 丷ha — kwukyel
Origin hint: 讠 gives the meaning, 兑 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
我在看一本小说。Wǒ zài kàn yī běn xiǎoshuō.I'm reading a novel.
你喜欢看小说吗？Nǐ xǐhuan kàn xiǎoshuō ma?Do you like reading novels?
Questions about 小说
What does 小说 mean?
小说 (xiǎoshuō) means “novel; fiction”.
How do you pronounce 小说?
小说 is pronounced xiǎoshuō.
Which HSK level is 小说?
小说 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021) and Old HSK 4.
Related words
- 小孩儿xiǎoháirchild
- 小姐xiǎojieMiss
- 小朋友xiǎopéngyǒuchild
- 小时xiǎoshíhour
- 小学xiǎoxuéprimary school
- 小学生xiǎoxuéshēngprimary school student
- 从小cóngxiǎofrom childhood
- 大小dàxiǎosize
- 小声xiǎoshēngin a low voice
- 小时候xiǎoshíhouin one's childhood
Learn 小说 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 59: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.