There is a legend that little people live in the forest.
そのファンタジー小説には、勇敢な小人の戦士が登場する。
In that fantasy novel, a brave dwarf warrior appears.
little person (dwarfism); dwarf; midget
Refers to a person with dwarfism. Note that 小人 (こびと) can be considered insensitive in modern usage; more respectful terms like 低身長者 (ていしんちょうしゃ) or 小人症の人 (こびとしょうのひと) are often preferred. The term 小人 (こびと) itself is still used in some contexts, but caution is advised.
彼は小人症で、身長が低いが、とても活動的だ。
He has dwarfism and is short in stature, but he is very active.
小人の役者として舞台に立つ。
He performs on stage as a little person actor.
Lots of little people appear in this fairy tale.
ドワーフ is the katakana loanword used mainly in Western-style fantasy and games, while 小人 is the native Japanese term with a broader, more folkloric feel.
小人 is a neutral folklore/fairy-tale term for a small person or dwarf, while ちび is a casual, sometimes teasing or insulting word for a short person.
巨人 means a giant, the opposite in size to a 小人 (a tiny fairy-like being) in fantasy contexts.
小人 read しょうにん means 'child' or 'minor' (e.g. on tickets), a completely different word from 小人 read こびと meaning a fairy or little person.
小人 (こびと) means 'dwarf' or 'little person', which learners may confuse with 小児 (しょうに, 'young child') due to the similar 小-kanji pairing.
counter for people
pygmy hog
dwarfism
dwarf-tossing; dwarf-throwing
pygmy hippopotamus
tucuxi; Sotalia fluviatilis
The reading こびと is a compound of 小 (こ, 'small') and 人 (ひと, 'person'), with rendaku voicing the second element to びと. The kanji spelling 小人 is shared with other readings (しょうにん, こども), but the meaning 'little person' is specific to こびと.