Common word› JLPT N4 › Freq. Frequency Top 5,000 Conjugation 細かい · i-adjective
Form Positive Negative Dictionary 細こま かい 細こま かくない Polite 細こま かいです 細こま かくないです also 細こま かくありません Past polite 細こま かかったです 細こま かくなかったです also 細こま かくありませんでした Past 細こま かかった 細こま かくなかった Te-form 細こま かくて 細こま かくなくて Adverbial 細こま かく Conditional 細こま かければ 細こま かくなければ Tara conditional 細こま かかったら 細こま かくなかったら
Meanings Jump to a sense… 1. small; fine; minute 2. minor; trivial; insignificant 3. sensitive; attentive to detail 4. careful with money; frugal; stingy Usage patterns 〈 事こと 〉 を 細こま かく 説せつ 明めい する to explain something in detail
The teacher explained the procedure in detail.
〈 人ひと 〉 はお 金かね に 細こま かい to be very particular (or stingy) about money
He's a person who's very particular about money.
細こま かい 点てん に 気き をつける to pay attention to small details
He's someone who pays attention even to the smallest details.
〈 物もの 〉 を 細こま かく 切き る to cut something into small pieces
I cut the vegetables into small pieces and put them in the soup.
Expressions· 7 目め の 細こま かい fine; fine-meshed; fine-textured 細こま かいこと trifles; minor details; small things 細こま かい 指し 示じ detailed instructions; minute directions Show 2 more Show fewer 芸げい が 細こま かい attentive to detail; meticulous in one's work Related words· 10 小さい is the general word for physical smallness, while 細かい specifically emphasizes fine grain, texture, or minute detail.
けち is a blunt, often negative word for stinginess, while 細かい about money can range from neutral 'careful' to mildly critical.
神経質 describes a nervous, easily-bothered personality, while 細かい (as in 神経が細かい ) focuses on noticing fine details without necessarily implying anxiety.
詳しい focuses on thorough, complete information or explanation, while 細かい emphasizes fine, minute detail and can describe physical size or numbers too.
Show 6 more Show fewer 細かい describes any fine, detailed pattern or texture, while 小柄 specifically means a small, fine pattern on fabric or similar material.
細かい is a common, everyday word for 'fine' or 'detailed', while 緻密 emphasizes precision and intricacy, often implying high quality or careful workmanship.
細かい is the everyday word for small, detailed, or meticulous things, whereas 微細 is more formal and technical, often implying a very fine physical or structural scale.
細かい is a common, everyday word for fine or minor detail (including physical smallness), while 綿密 is a more formal word for systematic, careful thoroughness.
細かい describes something as small, fine, or detailed in general, while 小刻み specifically focuses on repeated small cuts, movements, or increments.
細かい means 'fine' or 'detailed' and can be neutral or negative (nitpicky), whereas 丹念 carries a positive nuance of devoted, careful effort.
Opposites 粗い means coarse or rough-grained, the direct opposite of 細かい 's fine, small-grained texture.
大まか means broad or rough in approach, the opposite of 細かい 's focus on minor, detailed points.
細かい means detailed or meticulous, the opposite of 大ざっぱ 's rough, imprecise quality.
Don't confuse with· 6 細い means 'thin/slender' (shape), while 細かい means 'fine/small/detailed' — easy to confuse because they share the kanji 細 and a similar sound.
細やか describes warm, heartfelt care (e.g. 細やかな心遣い ), whereas 細かい is about physical fineness or triviality, not emotional warmth.
細かい means 'detailed' or 'fussy' and can sound negative if overly particular, while 丁寧 has a positive nuance of conscientious, respectful care.
Show 3 more Show fewer 細かい is an adjective describing something as small or fine, whereas 細々 is an adverb/する -verb describing the manner of explaining or doing something in detail.
細かい means 'fine, detailed, small in grain' while 細め means 'somewhat thin/narrow in width', though both share the kanji 細 and can be mixed up by learners.
細かい means 'detailed' or 'fine' (as in small pieces or precise information), whereas 細々 describes a weak, meager, or barely-continuing state; learners confuse them due to the shared kanji.
Word family· 7 small; fine; detailed; stingy
detailed; minute; in great detail
smooth; fine-textured · meticulous; painstaking; detailed
smooth; fine-textured · meticulous; painstaking; detailed
minutely; finely; in detail
Show 2 more Show fewer Written forms 細こま かい Usage 93%
Standard kanji spelling for all senses.
こまかい Usage 7%
Kana spelling is common in informal writing, but the kanji form is preferred in most contexts.
Etymology Derived from the adjective 細か (こまか ) with the classical adjective ending し , evolving into modern 細かい . The root 細 (こま ) is related to fineness or smallness, as seen in words like 細やか and 細工 (さいく ).
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