細かい

• Reading: こまかい
• Romaji: komakai
• Kanji breakdown: 細 (sai/hoso/koma) — thin, fine, detailed
• Pronunciation: /ko.ma.ka.i/

Meaning

Small; fine; detailed; minute. Describes something consisting of small parts or done with great attention.

An i-adjective with multiple uses: physically small pieces (細かく切る, to cut finely), detailed work (細かい作業, detailed work), or personality (細かい人, a picky/detail-oriented person). 細かいお金 means small change (coins). Can carry a slightly negative nuance when describing a person as overly fussy.

Examples

1. 野菜を細かく切ってスープに入れてください。 Please chop the vegetables finely and add them to the soup.
2. 彼は仕事が細かくてとても丁寧です。 He is meticulous in his work and very thorough.
3. 細かいお金がないのでカードで払います。 I don't have any small change, so I'll pay by card.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, work, money

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 細 combines 糸 (ito, thread) with 田 (ta, field). Originally depicted thin threads in a field pattern — something narrow, fine, and delicate.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal