noun
small but certain happiness; simple pleasure in life
Coined by Haruki Murakami as an abbreviation of 小さいけど確かな幸せ. Used for everyday small joys, often with a literary or slightly self-conscious feel. Slangy but widely recognized.
朝のコーヒーが私の小確幸です。
My morning coffee is my small but certain happiness.
村上春樹のエッセイで「小確幸」という言葉を知った。
I learned the word 小確幸 from Haruki Murakami's essay.
Plain phrase meaning 'small happiness'. 小確幸 is a coined, more literary and compact term.
Coined by Japanese author Haruki Murakami as an abbreviation of 小さいけど確かな幸せ (small but certain happiness). The exact derivation is from his essay; not a traditional compound.