A verbal reprimand, often from a superior or elder, expressing disapproval of someone's actions.
I was late and got a scolding from my boss.
My mother is always lecturing me.
complaint; grumbling; fault-finding
Expressing dissatisfaction or finding fault, often in a nagging or petty manner.
He's always complaining; it's tiring to be around him.
Instead of finding fault, why don't you try doing it yourself?
My mother nags my little brother every morning.
I forgot my homework and got scolded by the teacher.
My boss is someone who nags a lot.
She's always listing complaints about the housework.
説教 is a moralizing lecture or sermon, often longer and more didactic, while 小言 is typically shorter grumbling or scolding about specific faults.
苦言 is blunt, well-meaning criticism offered for someone's own good, whereas 小言 often carries a petty or nagging tone.
愚痴 is grumbling about one's own troubles or misfortune, while 小言 is fault-finding directed at someone else's behavior.
Standard kanji spelling; high priority in news and frequency lists.
Search-only kanji form; not commonly used in modern writing.
Compound of 小 (small, petty) and 言 (word, speech), literally 'small words', referring to petty scolding or complaints.