Word
小便
Meaning in English(col) urine, piss
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 小便 mean? A noun for urine; used to refer to the liquid waste produced by the kidneys, and can form the verb phrase 小便をする to describe the act of urinating; the term is more formal or old-fashioned and less common in everyday speech compared with おしっこ or 尿.
Main meanings
- Urine as a noun: the liquid waste excreted by the kidneys.
- To urinate: part of the verb phrase 小便をする; registers range from neutral to informal depending on context.
- In modern everyday speech it is less common; 尿 or おしっこ are typical alternatives; 小便 appears in medical, historical, or literary contexts.
How to use it
Used primarily in written or formal Japanese to denote urine; in casual conversation, speakers typically use おしっこ or 尿; in medical or academic contexts you may encounter 尿 or 排尿.
Variants and close terms
- 尿 — nyou (nyou) medical term for urine
- おしっこ — oshikko (colloquial, child-friendly term for pee)
- 排尿する — hainyō suru (formal/medical verb meaning to urinate)
Composition
- 小: small
- 便: convenience, ease
- Together they form a conventional meaning of a small bodily excretion, historically used to refer to urine rather than a direct literal translation.
Etymology
Formed as a Sino-Japanese compound with on'yomi readings; 小しょう + 便べん gives shōben.
Word class
noun (名詞); suru-verb (サ変動詞)