優しい
yasashii[ja̠sa̠ɕii]
The Japanese word for gentle is 優しい (yasashii).
優しい is used to describe someone with a gentle temperament or someone who is being kind and caring toward others.
Meaning: soft and mild rather than hard or severe (adj)
Which one should you use?
Be careful not to confuse 優しい (gentle/kind) with its homophone 易しい (yasashii), which means 'easy' in the sense of not being difficult.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the adjective as an adverb meaning 'gently', change the final -i to -ku, resulting in 優しく. For example, 優しく抱く means to gently hug and 優しく話す means to speak gently. To express the past tense, 'was gentle/kind', use 優しかった.
How do you pronounce it?
yasashii
Did you know?
- When describing a 'gentle' light or 'gentle' breeze, Japanese speakers often prefer the word 穏やかな (odayaka na) over 優しい.
- In many Japanese social contexts, being 優しい can imply a level of emotional self-sacrifice, as the person is prioritizing the comfort of others over their own needs.
- While 'gentle' in English can be a synonym for 'weak', calling someone 優しい in Japanese is almost exclusively a compliment regarding their heart.
Examples in context
- 彼女は優しい声で言った。She spoke in a gentle voice.This sentence shows how to use 優しい to describe a voice.Tatoeba #86462 by small_snow, translation #317249 by AlanF_US
- ハリーは猫には優しいんだ。Harry is gentle with cats.This sentence shows how to use 優しい to describe being gentle with animals.Tatoeba #197865 by small_snow, translation #35054 by AlanF_US
- 彼女は優しい心の持ち主です。She has a gentle heart.This sentence shows how to use 優しい to describe a person's heart.Tatoeba #86464 by bunbuku, translation #315116 by CM
- 彼女はとても優しい人です。She is a very gentle person.
- 彼の話し方はとても丁寧で優しいです。His way of speaking is very polite and gentle.
- 彼はやさしい人で、いつも助けてくれます。He is a gentle person and always helps me.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is discussing a new neighbor in their apartment building.
- 大翔 Hiroto新しい隣人は優しい人ですか？Atarashii rinjin wa yasashii hito desu ka?Is the new neighbor a gentle person?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、とても優しいですよ。Hai, totemo yasashii desu yo.Yes, she is very gentle.
- 大翔 Hirotoそれは安心しました。Sore wa anshin shimashita.That is a relief.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔さんもきっと気に入りますよ。Hiroto-san mo kitto kiniirimasu yo.I'm sure you will like her too, Hiroto.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 優しい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
