1.
to become cramped; to become too small
For a space or place to become insufficient in size due to growth, accumulation, or changing needs.
部屋が手狭になった。
The room has become too small.
家族が増えて家が手狭になった。
The family grew and the house became cramped.
事業が拡大して今のオフィスが手狭になったので、引っ越しを検討している。
The business expanded and the current office became too small, so we're considering moving.
手狭 literally means 'narrow at hand' and describes a space that feels too small for its purpose. The na-adjective 手狭 is most commonly used with になる to describe a space becoming insufficient. Often triggers a decision to move or expand.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 手狭になる: to become cramped
- 手狭に感じる: to feel cramped
- 手狭な部屋: a cramped room
- 手狭な住まい: a cramped dwelling
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 狭い: narrow, small — a general adjective for physical smallness, while 手狭 specifically implies that the space has become insufficient for one's needs
- 窮屈: cramped, tight — can describe both physical spaces and figurative constraint (like restrictive rules), while 手狭 is only about physical space being too small