How to say "petty" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- i-adjectivePetty in the sense of small-minded, stingy, and cheap: it describes people or behavior that is mean and ungenerous over trivial matters, such as quibbling over small sums of money.
- 卑小ひしょうna-adjective, nounPetty in the sense of trifling: it describes things as small and insignificant, not people as mean-spirited, so it is seldom the word for petty behavior; it is also less common.
- 貧小ひんしょうna-adjective, nounPetty as trivial or paltry: it stresses that something is meager and insignificant — a paltry amount or trifling matter — rather than that a person is mean. Like 卑小, it is a less common choice.
- na-adjectiveColloquial and dismissive: petty here overlaps with crummy, shabby, and lousy — use it in casual speech to sneer at something or someone as small-time and contemptible.
- 狭量きょうりょうna-adjective, nounPetty as a trait of character: it describes a person as narrow-minded and intolerant, lacking breadth of mind — the word for petty people, not petty amounts or concerns.
Use 「せこい」 for mean, small-minded behavior, 狭量 for a narrow-minded character, 「チンケ」 as a colloquial sneer at something crummy, and 卑小 or 貧小 for things that are trifling or paltry.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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