French word

petit

Pronunciation

IPA/pəti/

Meaning

  • adjectivesmall

Example

Elle a une petite maison.

She has a small house.

Illustration for petit (small)

More examples

C'est un petit cadeau.

It's a small gift.

Core concept

A reduced measure that takes up little space or carries little weight, whether physical, quantitative, or figurative.

Common phrases

  • une petite fille

    a little girl

  • un petit cadeau

    a small gift

  • une petite pause

    a short break

Similar words

léger: Slight in extent or impact and barely noticeable.
faible: Low in strength or force.
modeste: Modest in size or quantity.

Definition in French

Qui existe en faible quantité ou dont l'ampleur, l'importance ou l'intensité est peu élevée.

Word origin

French petit continues Old French petit and ultimately a popular Latin form, whose sense of smallness broadened beyond physical size.

Usage tips

  • Before a noun, petit often comes first, as in une petite maison, and its final consonant is normally silent.

Other meanings

  • littleadjective
  • minoradjective
  • youngadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word