可愛い
kawaii[ka̠β̞a̠ii]
The English word 'adorable' is translated into Japanese as 可愛い (kawaii).
可愛い is used to express that something or someone is adorable. You can use variations like 超可愛い to mean 'super cute' or かわいいね to informally ask, 'Isn't it cute?' or 'Isn't he/she adorable?' If you want to describe something specifically as being fluffy and adorable, you can use the onomatopoeic expression モフモフ.
Meaning: befitting of being adored (adj)
Which one should you use?
While 可愛い is the standard term, 愛らしい carries a slightly more elegant and sophisticated connotation. There is also an extended form, かわいらしい, which conveys a sense of delicate cuteness. To say something is 'very lovely', you can use とても愛らしい.
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the tense or polarity of the word, use 可愛かった for the past tense ('was adorable') and 可愛くない for the negative form ('not adorable').
How do you pronounce it?
kawaii
Did you know?
- The word 可愛い originally meant something quite different: 'shameful' or 'embarrassing'. It evolved from a sense of feeling shame or pity toward someone into the modern meaning of 'lovable' or 'cute'.
- Similar to 可愛い, the Korean word for 'pretty' 예쁘다 originally meant 'poor' as in 'pitiful'.
Examples in context
- 君って、本当に可愛いね。You're so adorable.This sentence demonstrates how to tell someone they are adorable using 可愛い.Tatoeba #8907383 by small_snow, translation #2218362 by CK
- 赤ちゃんハリネズミ、可愛いよ。Baby hedgehogs are adorable.This sentence shows how to describe a baby hedgehog as adorable using 可愛い.Tatoeba #9584954 by small_snow, translation #9584934 by shekitten
- その赤ちゃん、本当に可愛いですね！That baby is really adorable, isn't it?
- あの子猫はもふもふしていて可愛い！That kitten is fluffy and cute!
- 新しいドレスがとても愛らしいですよね。The new dress is really lovely, isn't it?
- このリボンのデザイン、とても可愛い。Kono ribon no dezain, totemo kawaii.This ribbon design is very cute.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at accessories in a boutique.
- 健太 Kenta結衣、このバッグ、可愛いと思わない？Yui, kono baggu, kawaii to omowanai?Yui, don't you think this bag is adorable?
- 結衣 Yui本当だ、健太。すごく可愛いね。Honto da, Kenta. Sugoku kawaii ne.You're right, Kenta. It's really cute.
- 健太 Kenta色がとても綺麗だよ。Iro ga totemo kirei da yo.The color is very beautiful.
- 結衣 Yuiデザインもすごく素敵だと思う。Dezain mo sugoku suteki da to omou.I think the design is also wonderful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “adorable” translations and entries 可愛い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 可愛い, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
