noun
person of little importance; insignificant person
Refers to someone with low social status, influence, or ability; often used in contrast to 君子 (superior person).
彼は会社では小人扱いされている。
He is treated as a nobody at the company.
noun
narrow-minded person; petty person
Describes someone with a small, ungenerous character; often used in moral or Confucian contexts.
小人は他人の成功を素直に喜べない。
A petty person cannot honestly rejoice in others' success.
noun
child; little one
Archaic or literary term for a child; in modern Japanese, 子供 is far more common.
昔話には、小人が主人公の話が多くある。
In old tales, there are many stories where a child is the main character.
noun
dwarf; small person
Refers to a person of unusually short stature; can be neutral or literary, but may be considered insensitive in modern contexts.
その物語には、森に住む小人が登場する。
In that story, a dwarf living in the forest appears.