ささやか

さ

や

か

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

na-adjective

small; modest; humble; meager

usually written using kana alone

Describes something small in scale, amount, or quality, often with a positive or humble nuance. Used for modest gifts, small gatherings, humble homes, or meager earnings.

ささやかな贈おくり物ものですが、どうぞお受うけ取とりください。
It's just a small gift, but please accept it.

彼かれはささやかなアパートで一人ひとり暮ぐらしをしている。

He lives alone in a modest apartment.

ささやかな幸しあわせを大たい切せつにしたい。

I want to cherish the little happinesses in life.

Written forms

ささやかUsage100%
Standard kana spelling; usually written in kana.
細ささやか
Kanji form is rare; the word is usually written in kana. The kanji 細 suggests smallness or fineness.

Kanji

細dainty, get thin, taper

Similar words

小ちいさい
小さい is the general word for 'small' in size or amount. ささやか implies modesty, humbleness, or insignificance, often with an emotional or qualitative nuance.
控ひかえめ
控えめ means 'reserved' or 'moderate' in behavior or quantity. ささやか focuses on the smallness or modesty of the thing itself, not on restraint.

Etymology

Derived from the classical adjective ささやかなり, which originally meant 'small' or 'slight'. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it may be related to the reduplicated root ささ (small).