きめ細(こま)かい

きめこまかい
i-adjective
fine-grained; detailed; thorough; attentive
descriptive
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Presentきめ細(こま)かいきめ細(こま)かくない
Pastきめ細(こま)かかったきめ細(こま)かくなかった
て formきめ細(こま)かくてきめ細(こま)かくなくて
Adverbialきめ細(こま)かく—
Conditional ばきめ細(こま)かければきめ細(こま)かくなければ
Conditional たらきめ細(こま)かかったらきめ細(こま)かくなかったら
1. fine-grained; smooth-textured
Describes a surface or texture that is very smooth and fine, with no visible roughness.
きめ細(こま)かい肌(はだ)をしている。
She has fine-grained skin.
きめ細(こま)かい泡(あわ)が立(た)つ石鹸(せっけん)だ。
It's a soap that produces fine lather.
This pottery has a beautiful fine-grained finish.
2. detailed; thorough; attentive; meticulous
Describes service, care, or work that pays attention to every small detail. A highly positive description of someone's approach.
きめ細(こま)かいサービスが評判(ひょうばん)だ。
The attentive service has a good reputation.
I appreciate the thorough response.
Being able to give detailed guidance to each individual is an advantage of small classes.

Usage

きめ細(こま)かい combines きめ (木目(きめ), grain or texture) with 細(こま)かい (fine, detailed). It is often written partly in hiragana. The word works both as a literal description of texture and as a figurative description of thoroughness.

Common collocations

Similar words

丁寧(ていねい) means polite or careful and focuses on manner and politeness. きめ細(こま)かい emphasizes paying attention to small details and leaving nothing overlooked.