いい子
ii ko
The English phrase 'good girl' is translated into Japanese as いい子 (ii ko).
いい子 is used to praise a female child or a pet for behaving well. While it is often translated as 'good girl', it literally means 'good child'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective いい (ii), meaning 'good' and the noun 子 (ko), meaning 'child'.
Which one should you use?
いい子 is a general term for a good child. For more specific or formal contexts, you might use いいお嬢さん to mean 'good young lady' or 健気なお嬢さん to mean 'admirable young lady', which specifically compliments a girl who displays qualities like perseverance, determination and dedication.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
いい子 is an informal expression typically used by parents, teachers or pet owners. In more polite or formal settings, you can use いいお嬢さん to commend a well-behaved girl or 健気なお嬢さん to compliment an admirable young lady.
How do you pronounce it?
ii ko
Did you know?
- In Japanese pop culture, particularly in anime, the phrase いい子 is sometimes used by much older characters to patronize or infantilize adults.
- The term 子 (ko) is often used as a suffix for female names, such as 'Hanako', making the phrase's root a common building block for female identities.
- The phrase いい子 can be used sarcastically by adults to describe someone who is overly obedient to the point of being boring or lacking initiative.
Examples in context
- いい子にしなさい。Be a good girl.This sentence shows how to use いい子 as a command to behave well.Tatoeba #10510695 by small_snow, translation #1649020 by Spamster
- 本当にいい子なんだ。She is really a good girl.This sentence is used to describe someone as a really good child using いい子.Tatoeba #11048073 by small_snow, translation #2137322 by AlanF_US
- ねぇママ、私っていい子？Mommy, am I a good girl?This sentence is an example of a child asking if they are a good child using いい子.Tatoeba #11998551 by small_snow, translation #12016132 by end
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki is praising a young girl who finished her meal.
- 美咲 Misakiいい子だね。Ii ko da ne.What a good girl.
- 健太 Kentaありがとうございます！Arigatou gozaimasu!Thank you very much!
- 美咲 Misaki全部食べられたね。Zenbu taberareta ne.You ate it all.
- 健太 Kentaおいしかったです！Oishikatta desu!It was delicious!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
