マイナー
まいなー
adjective-na
minor, niche, obscure
1.
minor, niche, not well-known
Not widely known or popular; having a small following. The opposite of メジャー. In Japanese, マイナー emphasizes obscurity and lack of mainstream recognition rather than unimportance.
マイナーなバンドが好きだ。
I like niche bands.
このスポーツは日本ではマイナーだ。
This sport is not well-known in Japan.
マイナーな映画ばかり観ているので、友達と話が合わない。
I only watch obscure movies, so I can't relate to my friends' conversations.
USAGE:
マイナー in Japanese focuses on being not well-known or outside the mainstream, rather than the English sense of "lesser in importance." It is not necessarily negative — some people take pride in liking マイナー things.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- マイナーな趣味: niche hobby
- マイナーリーグ: minor league
- マイナーチェンジ: minor change/facelift (often for car models)
- マイナーから脱却する: to break out of obscurity
SIMILAR WORDS:
メジャー is the direct opposite, meaning mainstream or widely known. ニッチ (niche) is similar but emphasizes a specialized market segment.