小確幸

小確幸

See also: 小确幸

Chinese

		small; tiny; few small; tiny; few; young	authenticated; solid; firm authenticated; solid; firm; real; true	fortunate; lucky
trad. (小確幸)		小	確	幸
simp. (小确幸)		小	确	幸

Etymology

Borrowed from the Japanese wasei kango (和製漢語, Japanese-made Chinese words) term 小確幸 (shōkakkō), from 小 (shō, “little”) + 確 (kaku, “sure”) + 幸 (kō, “fortune”), which was first used by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami in Afternoon in the Islets of Langerhans (ランゲルハンス島の午後, 1986).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiǎoquèxìng

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄑㄩㄝˋ ㄒㄧㄥˋ

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): séu-khok-hen

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiǎoquèxìng
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄑㄩㄝˋ ㄒㄧㄥˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siǎocyuèsìng
    • Wade–Giles: hsiao³-chʻüeh⁴-hsing⁴
    • Yale: syǎu-chywè-syìng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sheauchiuehshinq
    • Palladius: сяоцюэсин (sjaocjuesin)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕjɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ t͡ɕʰɥɛ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕiŋ⁵¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: séu-khok-hen
    • Hakka Romanization System: seu` kog` hen
    • Hagfa Pinyim: seu³ kog⁵ hen⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /seu̯³¹ kʰok̚² hen⁵⁵/

Noun

小確幸

1. (neologism) little but certain happiness

   • 「小確幸」，連日本人都看不懂是什麼。典出村上春樹「小而確實的幸福」，而為什麼在台灣發揚光大，台灣人幸福追求不了、非得要減碼才落實？ [MSC, trad.]
     “小确幸”，连日本人都看不懂是什么。典出村上春树“小而确实的幸福”，而为什么在台湾发扬光大，台湾人幸福追求不了、非得要减码才落实？ [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2013, United Daily, "小確幸 集體主義分泌的潤滑劑"

     “Xiǎoquèxìng”, lián Rìběnrén dōu kànbùdǒng shì shénme. Diǎnchū Cūnshàng Chūnshù “xiǎo ér quèshí de xìngfú”, ér wèishénme zài Táiwān fāyáng guāngdà, Táiwānrén xìngfú zhuīqiú bùle, fēidé yào jiǎnmǎ cái luòshí? [Pinyin]

     Even Japanese do not understand what "xiǎoquèxìng" is. It's cited from "little but certain happiness" by Haruki Murakami, but why is it flourishing in Taiwan? Are Taiwanese not able to pursue happiness unless they decrease it?

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Japanese

Kanji in this term
小	確	幸
しょう Grade: 1	かく > かっ Grade: 5	こう Grade: 3

Etymology

Analyzable as a compound of 小 (shō, “small”) +‎ 確 (kaku, “certain”) +‎ 幸 (kō, “happiness”).

Appears to be a coinage as 和製漢語 (wasei kango, “Japanese-made Chinese words”) by modern novelist 村上春樹 (Murakami Haruki, “Haruki Murakami”), most likely in his 1986 essay, ランゲルハンス島の午後 (Rangeruhansu-tō no Gogo, “Afternoon in the Islets of Langerhans”).[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɕo̞ːka̠k̚ko̞ː]

Noun

小(しょう)確(かっ)幸(こう) • (shōkakkō) 

1. a small but certain happiness, such as "eating a freshly-baked loaf of bread with one’s hands"[1]

References

1. March 11, 2018, "[Trending] #Small but certain happiness #小確幸", Park Ju-young, The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2022-12-12. URL: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20180311000255
   Relevant quote: "[Murakami] described a small piece of happiness as eating a freshly-baked loaf of bread with one’s hands, seeing neatly folded underwear in a drawer, wearing a new shirt that smells like clean cotton and letting a cat enter into a bed with a rustling sound."

Further reading

• Entry at 日本語俗語辞典 (Nihongo Zokugo Jiten, “Japanese Slang Dictionary”) (in Japanese)

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Korean

Hanja in this term
小	確	幸

Noun

小確幸 • (sohwakhaeng) (hangeul 소확행)

1. Hanja form^? of 소확행 (“little but certain happiness”).