na-adjective, noun
Describes physical spaces that are cramped or restricted. Often used in formal or written contexts.
この部屋は狭隘で、家具を置くのが難しい。
This room is narrow, making it difficult to place furniture.
狭隘な路地を抜けると、広場に出
After passing through the narrow alley, we came out into a plaza.
na-adjective, noun
Describes a person's mindset or attitude as limited, ungenerous, or lacking in broad perspective. More common in written or critical commentary.
彼の狭隘な考え方にはもう我慢できない。
I can no longer tolerate his narrow-minded way of thinking.
狭隘な民族主義は国際協力を妨げる。
Narrow-minded nationalism hinders international cooperation.
狭い is the common, everyday word for 'narrow' or 'small' in physical spaces. 狭隘 is more formal and often used in written or critical contexts, and can also refer to narrow-mindedness.
偏狭 specifically means 'narrow-minded' or 'prejudiced', focusing on intolerance. 狭隘 can cover both physical narrowness and narrow-mindedness, but 偏狭 is more directly about biased attitudes.
Compound of 狭 (kyō, 'narrow') and 隘 (ai, 'narrow pass' or 'confined'). Both kanji contribute a sense of constriction, and the word is used in formal Japanese for both physical and metaphorical narrowness.