小声

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 小声 is a noun read こごえ, meaning a quiet or lowered voice intended not to carry loudly to others.
• Basic usage: It combines with で to describe manner in expressions such as 小声で話す and 小声で答える.
  • 図書館では小声で話してください。 asks people to speak quietly in the library; 彼女は私にだけ聞こえる小声で答えた。 says that she answered in a voice audible only to the speaker.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 小声で話す
  • で marks the volume and manner of speaking here; distinguish this role from で used solely to mark a location.
• 私にだけ聞こえる
  • だけ limits the person who can hear the voice to the speaker, rather than saying that everyone nearby heard it.
• 小声 and ささやき
  • 小声 focuses on lowered volume, while ささやき more specifically evokes the manner of whispering closely and softly.