優しさ
yasashisa[ja̠sa̠ɕi̥sa̠]
The English phrase 'kindness' can be translated into Japanese as 優しさ (yasashisa) or 親切.
Meaning: being kind (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 優しさ | yasashisa | [ja̠sa̠ɕi̥sa̠] (narrow) |
| 親切 | shinsetsu | [ɕĩɰ̃se̞t͡sɨ] (narrow) |
Japanese uses different words depending on whether you are describing a person's gentle nature or their helpful actions.
Which one should you use?
親切 refers more to specific acts of kindness, helpfulness or being polite to others. In contrast, 優しさ refers more to a person's gentle, warm or tender nature.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
When referring to someone else's kindness, you can add the prefix ご to the word 親切 to form ご親切, which is a polite way to express it.
How does it change in a sentence?
親切 can function as a na-adjective. 優しさ functions as a noun.
How do you pronounce it?
yasashisa
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, there is a concept called 思いやり which is often translated as 'kindness'. However, it specifically refers to the act of anticipating another person's needs before they even express them.
- In Japan, an act of 親切 is often accompanied by a feeling of 申し訳ない or 'feeling sorry'. This is because the recipient may feel they have caused a burden to the kind person.
- The word 親切 shares its origins with the concept of a 'blood relative', as its roots historically combine the characters for 'intimate/parent' and 'close'.
Examples in context
- 彼はとても親切だった。He was kindness itself.This sentence shows an example of using 親切.Tatoeba #111569 by small_snow, translation #292114 by AlanF_US
- ご親切に感謝しております。I appreciate your kindness.Tatoeba #217110 by bunbuku, translation #54417 by CK
- いろいろご親切にありがとう。Thank you for your kindness.Tatoeba #228449 by bunbuku, translation #54403 by CK
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are talking about a friend's personality.
- 美咲 Misaki彼の優しさにいつも救われています。Kare no yasashisa ni itsumo sukuwarete imasu.I am always saved by his kindness.
- 蓮 Ren本当に、誰にでも優しい人だよね。Hontō ni, dare ni demo yasashii hito da yo ne.Truly, he is a person who is kind to everyone.
- 美咲 Misakiそういう優しさが大切だと思います。Sō iu yasashisa ga taisetsu da to omoimasu.I think that kind of kindness is important.
- 蓮 Ren僕も彼を見習いたいな。Boku mo kare o minarai tai na.I want to follow his example too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “kindness” translations and entries 優しさ, 親切, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 優しさ, 親切, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
