可愛い
kawaiikanji, everyday
In kanji, "cute" is 可愛い (kawaii). The same word is very often written in hiragana as かわいい. 可愛らしい (kawairashii) is a bit more formal and means "sweet" or "lovely". It is also called 愛らしい (airashii).
Meaning: cute, lovable (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 可愛い | kawaii | kanji, everyday |
| 可愛らしい | kawairashii | kanji, sweet, lovely |
| 愛らしい | airashii | kanji, written style |
可愛い is used for babies, pets, clothes, small objects and people. It is one of the most common compliments in Japanese.
Which one should you use?
愛らしい (airashii) is more literary and appears in writing more than in chat.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as four beats, "ka-wa-i-i", with the last two vowels held together.
Did you know?
- The word 可愛い has also been borrowed into English as "kawaii" to describe a style of cute culture.
Examples in context
- この猫は可愛いですね。Kono neko wa kawaii desu ne.This cat is cute, isn't it?
- その服、可愛いね。Sono fuku, kawaii ne.That outfit is cute.
- 彼女の笑顔は可愛い。Kanojo no egao wa kawaii.Her smile is cute.
Example conversation
Mika shows her friend Aya a photo of a kitten on her phone.
- Mika見て、この子猫。Mite, kono koneko.Look at this kitten.
- Ayaわあ、可愛い！Wā, kawaii!Wow, so cute!
- Mika名前はミルクだよ。Namae wa Miruku da yo.Her name is Milk.
- Ayaミルクちゃん、可愛いね。Miruku-chan, kawaii ne.Little Milk, you are so cute.
