わずか

わ

ず

か

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

na-adjective, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

a little; a few; small; slight; meager; narrow (margin)

usually written using kana alone

Describes a small amount, number, degree, or margin. Often used with nouns (わずかな + N) or as a predicate (わずかだ).

わずかな違ちがいで負まけてしまった。

I lost by a narrow margin.

冷れい蔵ぞう庫こにはわずかな食たべ物ものしか残のこっていない。

There is only a little food left in the fridge.

2

adverb

only; just; merely; no more than

usually written using kana alone

Adverbial use emphasizing a small quantity or degree, often with numbers or amounts. Can imply 'as little as' or 'a mere'.

完かん成せいまでわずか3日かしかない。
There are only three days left until completion.
彼かれはわずか10歳さいで大だい学がくに入にゅう学がくした。
He entered university at just ten years old.

Written forms

わずかUsage87%
Kana spelling is standard; usually written in kana.
僅わずかUsage12%
Kanji form is common in formal or literary writing, but kana is preferred in everyday use.
纔わずかUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; learners should avoid this spelling.
ワズカUsage<1%

Kanji

僅a wee bit
纔a little

Similar words

少すこし
少し is more colloquial and common in speech; わずか is slightly more formal and often emphasizes a surprisingly small amount or narrow margin.
ほんの
ほんの is a pre-noun adjectival meaning 'mere' or 'just a little', often used with わずか (ほんのわずか) for emphasis.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain, but it is a native Japanese word. The kanji 僅 and 纔 are both used for their meaning of 'a little' or 'slight', but the kana spelling is now standard.