Japanese word

いささか

Pronunciation

Romajiisasaka

Meaning

  • adverba little

Example

その説明にはいささか無理があります。so no setsu mei ni wa i sa sa ka mu ri ga a ri ma su

That explanation is a little unreasonable.

Illustration for いささか (a little)

More examples

彼の提案にはいささか驚きました。kare no tei an ni wa i sa sa ka odoro ki ma shi ta

I was somewhat surprised by his proposal.

Core concept

The adverb いささか (isasaka, "a little") marks a limited degree, often adding a careful or restrained tone to an evaluation.

Common phrases

  • いささか驚くi sa sa ka odoro ku

    be somewhat surprised

  • いささか困るi sa sa ka koma ru

    be somewhat troubled

Similar words

少しsukoshi: To a small degree in a neutral and widely used way.
ややyaya: To a somewhat limited degree, often in careful or formal statements.
ちょっとchotto: To a small degree, often in casual speech and sometimes with hesitation.
少々shōshō: To a small degree, with a polite or formal tone.

Definition in Japanese

程度や量が少しであるさま。tei do ya ryō ga suko shi de a ru sa ma

Word origin

The native Japanese adverb いささか (isasaka, "a little") appears in classical Japanese, while the origin of its individual parts is not certain.

Usage tips

  • In modern conversation, いささか (isasaka) often sounds more formal than 少し (sukoshi), making it useful for mild, measured criticism.

Other meanings

  • ratheradverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word