なんてかわいいの
nante kawaii no
In Japanese, "how cute" is expressed as なんてかわいいの (nante kawaii no).
This phrase is used as an exclamation to express that something or someone is very adorable.
What does it mean word for word?
なんて functions as an exclamatory adverb meaning "how" or "what a", while かわいい is the adjective meaning "cute" or "adorable".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
なんてかわいいの is used in informal or casual speech, often by women or children. For formal situations, you can say Kawaii desu ne to express how cute something is or use Totemo kawaii desu to emphasize the level of cuteness formally. For an informal alternative, you can use Kawaii yo.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you replace the final の with んだ, the phrase becomes なんてかわいいんだ, which makes the exclamation sound more emphatic and typically more masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
nante kawaii no
Did you know?
- The word かわいい originally meant 'pitiful' or 'helpless' in the 10th century. It described the feeling of wanting to protect something that was small and vulnerable, rather than just looking pretty.
- There are many variations of 'cute' in Japanese, such as きゅん (kyun), which is an onomatopoeia representing the physical 'squeeze' or pang of emotion one feels in the heart when seeing something cute.
- In certain subcultures, the term グロかわいい (guro-kawaii) is used to describe a style that is simultaneously 'grotesque' and 'cute', blending the macabre with the adorable.
Examples in context
- なんてかわいいの！nante kawaii no!How cute!
- この子犬、なんてかわいいの。kono koinu, nante kawaii no.How cute this puppy is.
- そのぬいぐるみ、なんてかわいいの！sono nuigurumi, nante kawaii no!How cute that stuffed animal is!
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are looking at a puppy together.
- 健太 Kenta見て、この子！Mite, kono ko!Look at this little one!
- 美咲 Misakiまあ、なんてかわいいの！Maa, nante kawaii no!Oh, how cute!
- 健太 Kenta本当に小さいね。Hontou ni chiisai ne.It's really small, isn't it?
- 美咲 Misakiずっと見ていられるわ。Zutto mite irareru wa.I could watch it forever.
