細かい
こまかい
small; fine, minute
i-adjective
Conjugation Table
Present
細かい
Negative
細かくない
Past
細かかった
Past Negative
細かくなかった
Te Form
細かくて
Adverbial
細かく
Conditional
細かければ
Presumptive
細かいでしょう
Example Sentences
このカメラは細かい写真が撮れます。
This camera can take fine photos.
Kono kamera wa komakai shashin ga toremasu.
彼の説明は細かくなかったです。
His explanation was not detailed.
Kare no setsumei wa komakaku nakatta desu.
細かいことは気にしないでください。
Please don't worry about the small details.
Komakai koto wa ki ni shinaide kudasai.
Grammar Notes & Usage Tips
•Conjugation Tip:** Remember, since 細かい is an i-adjective, you can conjugate it to describe the past or negative by dropping the い and adding かった for past (細かかった) or くない for negative (細かくない).
•Particle Usage:** When using 細かい to describe something, you often use it in conjunction with the particle が or は, such as in 細かい砂がたくさんある (There is a lot of fine sand) or 細かい問題はない (There are no minute problems).
•Common Mistake:** Don’t confuse 細かい with 小さい (ちいさい), which also means small. 細かい emphasizes detail and fineness, like in 細かい説明 (detailed explanation), whereas 小さい refers to physical size.
•Usage Context:** 細かい is perfect for describing things that require attention to detail or precision, like 細かい仕事 (meticulous work), making it great for talking about tasks requiring precision or careful attention.
•い-adjective: Conjugates by changing the い ending