A suction and discharge valve arrangement for a small hermetic compressor of the type presenting a compression cylinder (1), which has an end closed by a valve plate (10) and which has a suction pipe (5) adjacent to the valve plate (10) and substantially orthogonal to the cylinder axis, the valve plate (10) being provided with a discharge orifice (11) substantially centralized in relation to the axial projection (20) of the internal contour of the compression cylinder (1), and with at least one suction orifice (12), which is internal to said axial projection (20) of the internal contour of the compression cylinder (1), and defining at least part of the extension of a suction passage (P), with an end opened to the inside of the compression cylinder (1) and an opposite end opened and connected to the suction pipe (5) by means of a transition portion (T), which is configured to minimize load losses.