JLPT N1 Advanced
細々
Minute details and odds and ends, or a meager livelihood barely sustained.
Readings
1 Adverb (often with と), Adjective (as こまごまとした)
In detail" / "Miscellaneous" (as こまごま)
Describes miscellaneous small objects, detailed matters, or intricate instructions.
Example
A 引っ越し の 準備 、 大変 そう だ ね 。
B うん 、 こまごました もの が 多く て 、 なかなか 終わら ない よ 。
[A:] Preparing to move looks tough. [B:] Yeah, there are so many little odds and ends, it feels like it'll never be finished.
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2 Adverb (often with と)
Barely getting by" / "Meager" (as ほそぼそ)
Indicates living or operating on a very small, modest scale, often implying barely scraping by.
Usage notes & examples
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3 Adverb (often with と), Adjective (as ほそぼそとした)
Thin" / "Slender" (as ほそぼそ)
Refers to something physically thin and continuous, or a sound that is faint and weak.
Usage notes & examples
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