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一撮み (ひとつまみ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Meanings 1
noun
pinch ; small amount
Refers to a small amount of something, especially a pinch of salt, sugar, or other granular ingredient picked up with the fingertips. Also used figuratively for a tiny quantity.
ない
。
There isn't even a grain of truth in his story.
2
noun
easy victory ; pushover
Idiomatic use meaning an opponent or task that can be handled with minimal effort, as if pinching something between the fingers. Often used in the phrase 一撮みにする (to make short work of).
Written forms 一ひと 撮つま み
Standard kanji spelling for the pinch sense; the み okurigana makes the reading clear.
一摘ひとつま み
Variant kanji spelling using 摘む (to pick/pluck), also seen in cooking contexts.
一ひと 撮つまみ
Abbreviated kanji spelling without okurigana; less common and may be misread.
Similar words 一ひと つまみ Same meaning and reading; 一撮み is the kanji spelling while 一つまみ is the kana or mixed spelling. Both are used interchangeably for 'a pinch'.
少しょう 々しょう Also means 'a small amount', but 少々 is a more formal adverbial expression used in recipes and instructions, while 一撮み specifically evokes the image of a fingertip pinch.
Etymology Compound of 一 (ひと, one) + 撮み (つまみ, pinch), the noun form of 撮む (つまむ, to pinch). The kanji 撮 is used for pinching or picking up, while the variant 摘み relates to plucking. The idiomatic 'easy victory' sense likely derives from the idea of handling something as effortlessly as pinching a small object.
