Japanese word

若干

Pronunciation

Romajijakkan

Meaning

  • adverba little

Example

今日は若干寒いです。kyō wa jak kan samu i de su

It is a little cold today.

Illustration for 若干 (a little)

More examples

予定より若干早く到着しました。yo tei yo ri jak kan haya ku tō chaku shi ma shi ta

I arrived slightly earlier than scheduled.

Core concept

Marks a small degree or amount, often making a statement sound less absolute.

Common phrases

  • 若干高いjak kan taka i

    be slightly expensive

  • 若干早くjak kan haya ku

    slightly earlier

Similar words

少しsukoshi: Indicates a small amount or degree in a neutral way.
ちょっとchotto: Indicates a small amount or degree in casual speech.

Definition in Japanese

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

Word origin

若干 (jakkan, "a small amount") is a Sino-Japanese borrowing from the Chinese expression 若干, which originally asked "how many" or "how much" and later came to refer to an unspecified amount.

Usage tips

  • 若干 (jakkan) is common in written and formal Japanese, while 少し (sukoshi) is usually more natural in everyday conversation.

Other meanings

  • a fewadverb

Word lists with this word