可爱
kě'ài
The English word "cute" is translated into Chinese as 可爱 (kě'ài).
可爱 is used to describe someone or something that is attractive or pleasing in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way. It is frequently used for children, animals or objects. When describing an adult man, using 可爱 can imply that he is adorable or sweet rather than sexually attractive. For a more intense expression, you can add 好 before the word to say 好可爱, meaning "very cute" or "super cute." You might also use 真可爱 to convey sincerity and genuine admiration. In slang, specifically from anime and manga culture, the term 萌 is used to describe something charmingly cute.
Meaning: attractive or pleasing in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of 可 (kě), meaning "can" or "able" and 爱 (ài), meaning "love". Literally, it means "can be loved" or "lovable".
Which one should you use?
While 可爱 is the standard term, you can use the informal phrase 可爱到爆 to express that something is extremely cute. For a more formal tone that emphasizes something is endearing and lovable, you can use 惹人喜爱.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 可爱 as a predicate adjective, it is common to place the adverb 很 before it to say 很可爱. This is done to make the sentence sound natural in Chinese, even if you do not necessarily mean the subject is "extremely" cute.
How do you pronounce it?
kě'ài
Did you know?
- The slang term 萌 (méng) used for 'cute' is actually a phonetic transcription of the Japanese word 'moe', which entered Chinese through ACG (Anime, Comic, and Games) subcultures.
- In the phrase 惹人喜爱, the word 惹 actually means 'to provoke' or 'to irritate', making the literal sense 'to provoke people into loving'.
- While English speakers use 'cute' for many things, calling a grown man 可爱 in a professional setting might be seen as patronizing or diminishing his authority.
Examples in context
- 猫咪很可爱。Cats are cute.This sentence shows how to use 可爱 to describe cats.Tatoeba #10981526 by Elaineeeeee, translation #5649044 by Hybrid
- 玛丽非常可爱。Mary is very cute.This sentence demonstrates using 可爱 with the adverb "非常" to describe a person.Tatoeba #9140823 by vermouthmjl, translation #4083732 by CK
- 这邮递员有些可爱。The mailman is cute.This sentence shows how to describe a person using 可爱.Tatoeba #5617301 by verdastelo9604, translation #5242377 by Joseph
- 她的小狗真可爱！Her puppy is so cute!
- 她的笑容真是惹人喜爱！Her smile is truly endearing!
- 这只小猫太萌了！This kitten is so adorable!
- 这对情侣装太可爱到爆了！This couple's outfit is ridiculously cute!
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zihan and Haoran are looking at a photo of a puppy.
- 梓涵 Zihan浩然，你看这只小狗多可爱！Hàorán, nǐ kàn zhè zhī xiǎogǒu duō kě'ài!Haoran, look how cute this puppy is!
- 浩然 Haoran它确实很可爱。Tā quèshí hěn kě'ài.It is indeed very cute.
- 梓涵 Zihan我想买它。Wǒ xiǎng mǎi tā.I want to buy it.
- 浩然 Haoran梓涵，你还是先考虑一下吧。Zǐhán, nǐ háishì xiān kǎolǜ yīxià ba.Zihan, you should think about it first.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
