小食(しょうしょく)

しょうしょく
noun, na-adjective
light eater; small appetite
See also: 少食(しょうしょく) (light eater (少食))
1. light eater; small appetite; eating sparingly
The tendency to eat only small amounts of food. Describes someone who naturally doesn't eat much.
彼女(かのじょ)は小食(しょうしょく)だ。
She's a light eater.
小食(しょうしょく)なので、大盛(おおも)りは食(た)べきれない。
I'm a light eater, so I can't finish a large portion.
子(こ)どもの頃(ころ)は小食(しょうしょく)だったが、大人(おとな)になってよく食(た)べるようになった。
I was a light eater as a child, but I started eating more as an adult.

小食(しょうしょく) describes someone who naturally eats small amounts — a disposition, not deliberate dieting.

USAGE:

Functions as both a noun and a な-adjective. Common patterns:

  • 小食(しょうしょく)だ: to be a light eater
  • 小食(しょうしょく)な人(ひと): a person with a small appetite
  • 小食(しょ���しょく)なので: because I'm a light eater

KANJI VARIANT:
Also written as 少食(しょうしょく) (少(しょう) meaning "few/little"). Both spellings are used interchangeably.

CONTRAST:

  • 大食(たいしょく): big eater (formal)
  • 大食(おおぐ)い: glutton, big eater (casual, slightly negative)
  • 食(く)いしん坊(ぼう): glutton, foodie (affectionate/playful)
general
Added 2026.3.15 9:18 · Revised 2026.3.28 12:50
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