1.
corner, nook, out-of-the-way spot
A small, tucked-away corner or section of a larger space. Often implies a quiet, inconspicuous, or marginal location. Used both literally for physical spaces and figuratively for peripheral areas of larger domains.
部屋の片隅に座った。
I sat in a corner of the room.
庭の片隅に小さな花が咲いていた。
Small flowers were blooming in a corner of the garden.
この世界の片隅で静かに暮らしたいと思うことがある。
Sometimes I think I'd like to live quietly in a corner of this world.
USAGE:
Often preceded by a location + の: 部屋の片隅 (a corner of the room), 街の片隅 (a corner of the city). Carries a nuance of being small, quiet, or overlooked, unlike 角 (a geometric corner) or 隅 (a corner of a room). The phrase 世界の片隅 (a corner of the world) was popularized by the animated film of the same title.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 心の片隅: a corner of one's heart
- 世界の片隅: a corner of the world
- 記憶の片隅: a corner of one's memory
- 街の片隅: a nook of the city