かわいい
kawaii
かわいい (kawaii) is the Japanese word for cute.
The term kawaii is used very broadly in Japanese to describe anything from small animals and children to fashion, objects and even certain personality traits. It conveys the sense of being attractive or pleasing in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way.
Meaning: attractive or pleasing in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
To change this adjective into its negative form, かわいくない, change the final i to ku nai.
How do you pronounce it?
kawaii
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse kawaii (cute) with kowai (scary) due to the similar vowel sounds.
Did you know?
- There is a category called kimo-kawaii, which describes things that are so 'gross' or 'weird' that they actually become cute.
- Japan has a distinct subculture called kawaii culture, where the aesthetic of cuteness is used in professional settings, including government mascots and corporate branding.
- There is a specific stylistic variation known as busakawa which describes something that is simultaneously 'ugly' and 'cute', often used for animals with strange features.
Examples in context
- かわいいなー。It's so cute.This sentence is useful for expressing that something is very cute using かわいい.Tatoeba #3506559 by arnab, translation #2249246 by CK
- トムってかわいい？Is Tom cute?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is cute using かわいい.Tatoeba #3507415 by arnab, translation #2244590 by CK
- コアラ、かわいい。Koalas are cute.This sentence is useful for stating that koalas are cute using かわいい.Tatoeba #9740674 by small_snow, translation #2020509 by Spamster
- 77 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiyori and Daito are looking at a baby animal at the zoo.
- 陽葵 Himari見て、この子すごくかわいい！Mite, kono ko sugoku kawaii!Look, this little one is so cute!
- 大翔 Hiroto本当だね。小さいね。Hontō da ne. Chiisai ne.You're right. It's so small.
- 陽葵 Himari動きまでかわいいよ。Ugoki made kawaii yo.Even the way it moves is cute.
- 大翔 Hiroto確かに。癒やされるね。Tashika ni. Iyasareru ne.True. It's so soothing.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
