小粋

• 読み: こいき
• ローマ字: koiki
• 漢字の分解: 小 (ko) — small, a bit, qualifying prefix; 粋 (iki) — chic, stylish, refined (Edo aesthetic)
• 発音: /ko.i.ki/

意味

Smart; stylish; chic; tasteful. Describes a person or thing that has a refined, slightly sophisticated elegance — particularly in the understated Edo aesthetic sense.

A na-adjective combining the intensifying prefix 小 (ko) with 粋 (iki), the Edo-period aesthetic of refined urban style. 粋 alone means chic or stylish, but 小粋 adds a nuance of accessible, unpretentious elegance — a kind of tasteful flair that is not ostentatious. Used to describe clothing, speech, venues, or manner.

例文

1. 彼女は小粋な着こなしで、どんな場所でも品よく見えた。
2. 小粋な言い回しで冗談を言う彼は、座を盛り上げるのが上手い。
3. あのバーは小粋な雰囲気で、大人がゆっくり過ごせる空間だ。

使い方ガイド

場面: fashion, speech style, bars and restaurants, lifestyle description

トーン: appreciative, refined

起源と歴史

Compound of 小 (ko — small, a bit, qualifying prefix) and 粋 (iki — chic, refined, stylish). 粋 is a core concept of Edo-period urban aesthetics, prizing understated sophistication over garish ostentation.

文化的背景

時代: Edo–Modern

世代: Adults

社会的背景: Urban/Cultural