些細な（ささいな、saさina）
- trivial

The Japanese word 些細な (ささいな) means "trivial," "minor," "small," "insignificant," or "unimportant." It describes something that is of little consequence, not worth much attention, or of a small degree. It implies that something is not serious or doesn't pose a significant problem.

⚫︎ 些細な問題 Translation: Minor problem ⚫︎ 些細なこと Translation: A trivial matter ⚫︎ 些細なミス Translation: A small mistake

You can use 些細な in various situations to downplay the importance of something or to indicate that something is not a major issue. It's often used when talking about small inconveniences, minor details, or things that don't need to be taken seriously. You can use it to reassure someone that a problem isn't big or to soften your own words.

The word is typically written using the kanji 些 (sa - small, a bit) and 細 (sai - fine, slender, detailed) followed by the adjectival suffix な (na). The hiragana reading is ささいな. There are no other common ways to write this word, and the okurigana is fixed.

Some synonyms for 些細な include: ⚫︎ 小さな (chiisana) - small, little ⚫︎ 僅かな (わずかな - wazukana) - slight, a little ⚫︎ 軽微な (keibina) - minor, slight ⚫︎ 取るに足りない (torunitarinai) - insignificant, not worth mentioning ⚫︎ ささい (sasai) - [almost identical to 些細な] - trivial (can be used as a noun form, e.g. ささいなこと)

Some antonyms for 些細な include: ⚫︎ 重大な (juudaina) - serious, important ⚫︎ 深刻な (shinkokuna) - serious, grave ⚫︎ 重要な (juuyouna) - important, significant ⚫︎ 大きな (ookina) - big, large

些細なことで怒らないでください。 ・Translation: Please don't get angry over a trivial matter. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 些細な to emphasize that the issue is not worth getting upset about.

些細なことですが、気になるんです。 ・Translation: It's a small thing, but it bothers me. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 些細な to acknowledge the issue is small while expressing personal concern.

The word 些細な is formed from the combination of the kanji 些, which means "small" or "a bit," and 細, which means "fine" or "detailed." Together, they convey the idea of something small in degree or detail, leading to the meaning of "trivial" or "insignificant." The な suffix turns the adjective into an adjectival form to modify a noun.