Entry
こせこせ
kosekose
Describes fussing over minor details, or feeling restricted and uncomfortable in a narrow space.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
The word works in two main ways. It can describe a person who lacks generosity of mind and makes a fuss over things that do not matter. It can also describe a place that is uncomfortably small and tight, not merely compact or cozy.
- Being fussy about unimportant details
- Feeling cramped in a tight space
Sense Map
Personality and Attitude
Focusing on small, trivial matters instead of the larger picture; being small-minded.
小さなことにこせこせする。
Space and Surroundings
A physical sense of being cramped or hemmed in by a small, crowded place.
こせこせした部屋。
Usage Note
How to Use
こせこせする
Used as a verb for fussing over trifles or feeling cramped.
こせこせ（と）
Adverbial form for doing something in a fussy, cramped, or restless way.
こせこせした + noun
Adjectival form for a cramped place or a small-minded person.
How to Use
Common Phrases
こせこせした生活
a life full of petty worries and little breathing room
こせこせした部屋
a cramped room that feels uncomfortable
こせこせと文句を言う
to complain fussily about minor things
小さなことにこせこせする
to fuss over small matters
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | Negative | Suggests the home or room is uncomfortably tight and leaves little freedom. |
| Work attitude | Negative | Implies someone is lost in petty details and missing the larger purpose. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
せかせか せかせか / contrast | When someone moves, works, or talks in a hurried, busy way. | せかせか is about speed and haste. こせこせ is about fussing over trifles or feeling cramped, not about being fast. | せかせか歩く。 |
そわそわ そわそわ / similar | When someone is restless from waiting, nerves, or anticipation. | そわそわ is restlessness from waiting for something. こせこせ is restlessness from pettiness or from a space that feels too tight. | テストの前にそわそわする。 |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using こせこせ for any small room.
Use it only when the smallness feels restrictive. For plain size, 狭い is enough.
Taking こせこせ as a compliment for being careful.
The word is negative: fussy and petty. For careful attention in a good sense, use 丁寧 or 細やか.
Examples
Examples
小さなことにこせこせするのはやめなさい。
ちいさなことに(こせこせ)するのはやめなさい。
Stop fussing over such small things.
FigurativeAdvice against a small-minded, fussy attitude.
こせこせした部屋で仕事をしている。
(こせこせ)したへやでしごとをしている。
I work in a cramped, uncomfortable room.
VisualDescribes a room that feels oppressive, not merely small.
受付でこせこせと書類を探していた。
うけつけで(こせこせ)としょるいをさがしていた。
He was fussily searching for the papers at the reception desk.
LiteralA fussy search, not simply being busy.
そんなこせこせした考え方は捨てなさい。
そんな(こせこせ)したかんがえかたはすてなさい。
Drop that small-minded way of thinking.
FigurativeAdvice to take a broader view.
都会のこせこせした生活に疲れた。
とかいの(こせこせ)したせいかつにつかれた。
I'm tired of cramped city life with no breathing room.
LiteralPoints to city life with little space or ease.
Similar Words
せかせか
sekaseka
Sekaseka describes moving, acting, or speaking in a hurried, restless, and agitated manner. Stresses hurried motion and speed, not fussing over trifles or a cramped room.
そわそわ
sowasowa
A state of being restless, fidgety, or unable to calm down due to anticipation, nervousness, or excitement. Restlessness from waiting or nerves, not from pettiness or a tight space.
Questions
Does こせこせ mean claustrophobic?
It can describe the uncomfortable feeling of a cramped space, but it also describes fussing over small things. It is not a clinical term.
Is it a polite word?
No. It usually carries a negative tone. Saying someone is こせこせ can sound like you are calling them small-minded.
How is it different from せかせか (sekaseka)?
せかせか is about speed: moving or speaking in a hurry. こせこせ is about scale: making a fuss over something too small, or a room that feels too tight.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 1004400
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
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