Usage patterns 些さ 細さい な 〈 事こと 〉 で 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 to do something (get angry, argue, etc.) over a trivial matter
I ended up arguing with him over something trivial.
些さ 細さい な 〈 事こと 〉 にこだわる to fuss over trivial things
He worries too much about trivial things.
些さ 細さい な 違ちが い a slight, insignificant difference
There's only a minor difference between the two proposals.
Related words· 11 些細 describes something too small or unimportant to matter, while つまらない suggests something boring or not worth valuing, often applied to things, stories, or people.
些細 usually carries a negative nuance of 'not worth worrying about,' while ちょっとした is more neutral and can even describe a pleasant small surprise.
わずか focuses on a small quantity or degree (e.g. わずかな時間 ), whereas 些細 focuses on the low importance of a matter rather than its size.
微細 is a more technical or scientific term for something minute in physical size or detail, while 些細 is the everyday word for insignificant matters.
Show 7 more Show fewer 些細なら niformly emphasizes something being trivial or insignificant, while 細かいこと refers to small details or minor matters that may still need attention.
些細 describes something trivial or minor, especially matters or problems, whereas ちっぽけ more broadly describes physical or figurative smallness with a dismissive tone.
些細 means 'trivial' or 'minor' and is used in ordinary speech, while 微々 is more formal and typically modifies quantities or degrees.
些細 is a more formal adjective meaning 'trivial' or 'minor', often describing objective details, whereas 大したことない is casual and used to downplay a situation in conversation.
些細 is a more formal, written word for 'trivial/minor', while 小さい can informally describe the same kind of insignificant matter.
些細 is a common na-adjective for 'minor, trifling' used for everyday small matters, whereas 枝葉 specifically frames something as peripheral to a main point.
些細 stresses that something is trivially small in importance, while 軽い more generally means minor or not serious.
Opposites· 7 些細 means trivial and not worth worrying about, while 重大 means serious or of great importance.
些細 means trivial or minor, the direct opposite of 重要 , which means important or significant.
些細 describes something trivial or negligible in degree, the opposite of 顕著 's sense of a striking, significant degree.
Show 4 more Show fewer 些細 means trifling or minor, the opposite of 莫大 , which describes an enormous amount or scale.
些細 describes something trivial or minor, the opposite of 大事 meaning important or significant.
些細 describes something trivial or minor, the opposite of クリティカル 's sense of being critically important.
些細 describes something trivial or minor, the opposite of 肝要 , which describes something of critical importance.
Don't confuse with 些細 is an na-adjective meaning 'trivial,' while 些か is an adverb meaning 'a little' or 'slightly'; learners can confuse them because they share the kanji 些 .
些細 (trivial, minor) sounds similar to 示唆 but has an unrelated meaning, so learners should not confuse the two words by sound alone.
些細 shares the kanji 些 with 些事 and also means 'minor,' but it is a na-adjective describing something as trifling, whereas 些事 is a noun naming the trifling thing itself.
Written forms 些さ 細さい Usage 66%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
ささい Usage 34%
瑣さ 細さい Usage <1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; learners should recognize it but use 些細 instead.
Etymology The kanji 些 means 'a little' or 'trifling,' and 細 means 'fine' or 'small.' Together they form a compound meaning 'trivial.' The reading ささい is the standard on'yomi reading of these characters.
Report an issue with this page
Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
