The invention discloses a water-cooling small circulation structure for an engine cylinder body, which comprises a water pump (5) and a cooling water passage (4); the cooling water passage (4) enters into a cylinder body from the water pump (5), and after the cooling water passage (4) reaches to the top of the cylinder body, a rectangular passage is arranged between the front end of the cylinder body and a chain wheel chamber, which becomes the reflux cavity of the cooling water passage, namely, a small circulation reflux passage (1) which is communicated with the entrance (3) of the water pump small circulation. The water-cooling small circulation structure of the invention also discloses a cooling method by adopting the water-cooling small circulation structure for an engine cylinder body. The cooling water circulation structure can avoid that the reflux cooling water of cylinder cover reduces cooling effect, and since cooling water holes are distributed on the upper end-surface of the cylinder front part, the structure of the invention is compact and saves space; besides, the good cooling effect helps reduce emission.