小本 (xiǎoběn): small capital

Meanings

1 small capital
2 shoestring (budget)
3 small-scale (business)

Characters

小

Examples

他做的是小本生意，赚不了多少钱。

Tā zuò de shì xiǎoběn shēngyi, zhuàn bu liǎo duōshao qián.

He runs a small-capital business — he can't make much money.

小本经营也要讲究信誉。

Xiǎoběn jīngyíng yě yào jiǎngjiu xìnyù.

Even a shoestring operation has to value its reputation.

Tips

usage

Almost always appears in compounds: 小本生意 (xiǎoběn shēngyi 'small business'), 小本经营 (xiǎoběn jīngyíng 'small-scale operation'). Standalone 小本 in this sense is rare — the related noun 小本子 means 'little notebook,' which is a different word.