Meaning & usage
たかが downplays something, dismissing it as trivial or insignificant. It comes before a noun, as in たかがコーヒー, and often pairs with されど or expressions like 知れてる to contrast the smallness of the thing. The tone is dismissive and somewhat literary.
Example sentences 3
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たかがコーヒー、されどコーヒーよ。
It's just coffee, but it's still coffee.
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日本中で格差社会の論議があるが、世界をみればこの程度の格差などたかが知れてる。
There's a debate about social disparity throughout Japan, but if you look at the world, this level of disparity is negligible.
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彼はたかが政治屋だ。
He is not any better than a politician.