Meaning:
“小” means “small,” “确” means “definite,” and “丧” is short for “沮丧,” which means “disappointment.” The opposite to another term that we explained earlier (小确幸, meaning “assured but trivial bliss”), this term refers to “small disappointments.” For single people, they may feel a little blue returning home after a day’s work and eating takeout for dinner; for couples, they may feel a little unhappy having to wash the dishes and do other housework. These have-to-be-done chores and have-to-be-faced lonely moments constitute most of our “small disappointments,” which are a part of our daily lives.
Example:
A: 放暑假真开心，可是还要面对期末考试。
Fàng shǔjià zhēn kāixīn, kěshì háiyào miànduì qīmò kǎoshì。
I’m so happy that summer vacation is ahead, only I have to deal with my final exams before that.
B: 想想你爸要带你去欧洲旅游，这点小确丧算神马！
Xiǎngxiǎng nǐ bà yào dài nǐ qù ōuzhōu lǚyóu, zhè diǎn xiǎoquèsàng suàn shénmǎ!
Just think: Your dad is taking you on a tour around Europe, and this small trouble is nothing!
(First editor: Debra Li)