Usage patterns いささか 〈 形けい 容よう 詞し 〉 somewhat/a little + adjective
His explanation was somewhat inadequate.
いささか 驚おどろ く to be a little surprised
I was somewhat surprised by the result.
いささかも 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 ない not even the slightest bit (emphatic negation)
His attitude didn't change in the slightest.
Related words 少し is the common, neutral word for 'a little', while いささか is more formal and carries a subjective, literary tone.
ちょっと is casual, conversational speech, whereas いささか is bookish and used mainly in writing or formal speech.
やや is a neutral, descriptive 'somewhat' often used with measurements or states, while いささか adds a subjective sense of surprise or reservation.
多少 is a plain, businesslike way to say 'to some extent', while いささか leans more literary and often implies the speaker finds the degree notable.
Written forms いささか Usage 95%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 些か and 聊か are rare and mostly literary.
些いささ か Usage 4%
Rare kanji spelling; 些 is not a jōyō kanji and this form is seldom used in modern writing.
聊いささ か Usage 1%
rarely-used kanji form
Very rare kanji spelling; 聊 is not a jōyō kanji and this form is almost never seen.
聊いささか Usage <1%
irregular okurigana rarely-used kanji form
Irregular okurigana usage and very rare kanji; included for search coverage only.
些いささか
irregular okurigana
Irregular okurigana usage; included for search coverage only.
Etymology The origin is uncertain. It may be derived from reduplication of an old root related to smallness, but the exact derivation is unclear.
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