[General] The meaning of "small gift"

[Shamsiyan]

In the sentence "Please accept this small gift.", does "small gift" means that "the size of the gift is small." or "the gift is not important in the view of speaker."

 

[charliedeut]

Hi,

It can certainly mean "small in size", however valuable it may be (a diamond, for instance). As for the other possibility you provide, I feel the speaker may say so if he/she fears it may not be important for the receiver of the gift (something hand-made, or merely decorative, for instance).

Greetings,

charliedeut

 

[5jj]

In offering a 'small gift' or 'a small token of my appreciation', the speaker is often trying to convey the impression that the gift is small in size or value when set against the 'largeness' of his/her feeling of gratitude/repect/love etc.

 

[SoothingDave]

No one would call a diamond a "small gift" without being ironic.

 

[tzfujimino]

Hello.:-D
I've heard "Here's a little something for you."
I think it conveys the same message.

 

[Shamsiyan]

If the speaker means that “the gift is small in size when is set against the largeness of his/her feeling of gratitude or the importance of the receiver.”, then how should he/she tell the sentence?

 

[bhaisahab]

If the speaker means that “the gift is small in size when is set against the largeness of his/her feeling of gratitude or the importance of the receiver.”, then how should he/she tell the sentence?

Do you mean small in size or small in value?

 

[SoothingDave]

If the speaker means that “the gift is small in size when is set against the largeness of his/her feeling of gratitude or the importance of the receiver.”, then how should he/she tell the sentence?

Try "Accept this gift as a token of our gratitude."

 

[emsr2d2]

Do you mean small in size or small in value?

Neither. It is simply small when compared to how grateful the giver of the present is. It's impossible to literally measure gratitude in size or value. It is simply that the person is very grateful and the present is rather insignificant compared to that gratitude.