かすか

か

す

か

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

usually written using kana alone

Describes something barely perceptible by the senses or mind: a faint sound, light, smell, hope, memory, etc.

遠とおくからかすかな音おとが聞きこえた。

I heard a faint sound from far away.

部屋へやにはかすかに花はなの香かおりが残のこっていた。

A faint scent of flowers lingered in the room.

2

usually written using kana alone

Used for something insufficient in amount, degree, or quality; often with a negative or pitying nuance. Less common than sense 1.

〈物もの〉がかすかに聞きこえるto be faintly audible
遠とおくから電でん車しゃの音おとがかすかに聞きこえる。
The sound of a train can be faintly heard in the distance.
かすかな〈物もの〉a faint (light, smell, sound, etc.)
部屋へやの隅すみにかすかな光ひかりが見みえた。
A faint light could be seen in the corner of the room.
〈事こと〉をかすかに覚おぼえているto vaguely remember something
子こ供どもの頃ころのことをかすかに覚おぼえている。
I vaguely remember things from when I was a child.
かすかな希き望ぼうa faint hope
彼かれはまだかすかな希き望ぼうを持もっていた。
He still held onto a faint hope.
かすかに震ふるえるto tremble slightly
彼かの女じょの声こえはかすかに震ふるえていた。
Her voice was trembling slightly.

仄ほのかN1sense 1
ほのか also means faint or slight but often implies a gentle, pleasant subtlety (e.g., ほのかな香り), while かすか can describe anything barely perceptible regardless of pleasantness.
わずかN3sense 1
わずか emphasizes a small amount or degree, often meaning 'only' or 'mere', while かすか focuses on the indistinctness or faintness of perception itself.
おぼろげ sense 1
おぼろげ describes vague, hazy mental images or memories, while かすか is broader and covers faintness in any sense, not just recollection.
うっすらN1
微か is a na-adjective meaning 'faint, slight' used to describe barely perceptible sounds, light, or feelings, while うっすら is an adverb describing the manner in which something is faintly done or perceived.
ほんのり
微か describes something barely perceptible or faint in intensity, while ほんのり conveys a subtle but pleasant degree, often of warmth, color, or taste.

はっきりN4sense 1
はっきり describes something clear and distinct, the opposite of かすか, which describes something faint and hard to perceive.

わずかN3
微か describes something faint or barely perceptible (a sound, light, memory), while 僅か describes a small quantity or narrow margin, not perceptibility.

かすかUsage79%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 微か and 幽か are rare and mainly literary.
微かすかUsage19%
Rare kanji form; 微 suggests faintness or subtlety.
幽かすかUsage2%
Rare kanji form; 幽 suggests dimness or seclusion.

The origin is uncertain. It may be related to classical Japanese かすか (kasuka) meaning 'faint' or 'dim', but the exact derivation is unclear.