きれい
kireineutral, compliment
To a girl, きれい (kirei) is the most natural word for "beautiful". For "cute" or "pretty" in a playful way, use かわいい (kawaii). It is also called 美しい (utsukushii).
Meaning: beautiful, pretty (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| きれい | kirei | neutral, compliment |
| 美しい | utsukushii | formal, literary |
| かわいい | kawaii | casual, cute |
きれい (kirei) suits looks, clothes or a smile, as in きれいだね (kirei da ne) or 今日きれいだね (kyō kirei da ne). It is also written 綺麗.
Which one should you use?
かわいい (kawaii) is the most common compliment and is gentle. 美しい (utsukushii) is stronger and sounds like a poem or a formal speech, so it is rarely said face to face.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Using 美人 (bijin) for a girl in front of her is quite direct, since it means "beautiful woman" and labels her.
Did you know?
- The word きれい (kirei) also means "clean", so a tidy room can be きれい too.
Examples in context
- そのワンピース、きれいだね。Sono wanpīsu, kirei da ne.That dress is beautiful.
- 笑顔がかわいいね。Egao ga kawaii ne.Your smile is lovely.
Example conversation
Kenji compliments his classmate Aya at the school culture festival.
- Kenjiアヤ、今日きれいだね。Aya, kyō kirei da ne.Aya, you look beautiful today.
- Ayaえっ、ありがとう。E, arigatō.Oh, thank you.
- Kenjiその浴衣、似合ってるよ。Sono yukata, niatteru yo.That yukata suits you.
