「小さい」、「小さな」ですか？違いは何ですか？

[NemuiKitsune]

So just as the title says I was wondering whats the difference between these two forms of the word and if there are different appropriate situations to use them.
I understand that they both attribute "small" as I know that 小さい was a 形容詞 but why is it that I always see the 形容動詞 version being used?
たとえば：
I completely understand that
「小さい子供が僕に近づいてきて。」 and
「小さな子供がしくしく泣いている。」
both attribute the child as "small"
でも、どの言葉はもっと適切ですか？
小さいのほうですか？
小さなのほうですか？

コメントにありがとうございます！

[thegooseking]

NemuiKitsuneさん、

I think in cases like this, usually you use the い form as a substantive and the な form as a modifier.

So you would have 小さな子供です ("It's the small child.") but 子供は小さいです ("The child is small."). There are a couple of other adjectives that also work like this, the most obvious one being the opposite of 小さい or 小さな, 大きい or 大きな.

That's the way I understand it, anyway.

小狼

[NemuiKitsune]

んんん。。。なるほど。
I believe that makes sense. It's another one of those rules that with practice it just makes sense isn't it?
Like saying 四時　”よじ” and not ”よんじ” or something?

[community.japanese]

Hello　NemuiKitsune　さん、
I am sorry for the late reply.
Actually scholars have been discussing the difference between　小さい and 小さな so it is hard to declare that.
Practically they are almost same.
However, according to the article, 大きな and 小さな are used for describing nonexistence objects for example,
以前先生から聞いた小さな話を思い出した。　I remembered a short story which I had heard from my teacher.
In this case, it can’t be replaced with 小さい.
Also when 大きな or小さな is used, it should be subjective.
On the other hand, when 大きいor小さい is used, it should be objective.

Regarding よじ,
よじ is easier to pronounce than よんじ.

Yuki 由紀
Team JapanesePod101.com

[community.japanese]

Hello 小狼さん、
Thank you for the comment.
小さな子供です doesn’t have to be 小さな.
小さい子供です means "It's the small child", too.
However, you understand the predicate and a modifier really well.

Yuki 由紀
Team JapanesePod101.com