素敵
suteki[sɨ̥te̞kʲi]
The Japanese word for lovely is 素敵, or suteki.
素敵 is frequently used to express admiration for someone's style, an atmosphere or an abstract concept like an idea or a person's character. While 素敵 implies a charming or wonderful quality in style or manner, it is used to convey a sense of loveliness in casual conversations.
Meaning: beautiful, charming, very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 素敵 as an adjective modifying a noun, you must add the particle な between the word and the noun, resulting in 素敵な. In a declarative sentence, 素敵 is a na-adjective and typically ends with だ or です.
How do you pronounce it?
suteki
Did you know?
- The suffix in 素敵 can be written with the kanji for 'enemy', which is 敵. This is an example of 'ateji', where characters are chosen for their sound rather than their literal meaning.
- A common mistake for learners is using 素敵 to describe a cute baby or a small animal, where the word 可愛い is expected instead.
- While 'lovely' in English often describes people, using 素敵 to describe a person's physical appearance can sometimes feel as if you are complimenting their overall style or aura rather than just their face.
Examples in context
- 素敵な考えね。It's a lovely idea.This sentence shows how to use 素敵 to describe an idea.Tatoeba #8510961 by small_snow, translation #5010241 by CK
- わあ、素敵だな。That would be lovely.This sentence shows how to use 素敵 to express that something would be lovely.Tatoeba #192084 by small_snow, translation #29246 by CK
- 着物姿、素敵ね。You look lovely in a kimono.This sentence shows how to use 素敵 to describe someone's appearance in a kimono.Tatoeba #11855726 by small_snow, translation #11855721 by sundown
- 紅葉の季節には、日本の風景は美しいです。During the autumn season, the Japanese scenery is lovely.
- 彼女のコーディネートはいつもとてもかわいらしいです。Her outfit is always charming and lovely.
- その子猫は本当に可愛いですね。That kitten is really lovely!
- 昨日のディナーは本当にすてきでした。Last night's dinner was really lovely.
- 赤ちゃんの笑顔はとても愛らしいです。The baby's smile is so adorable and lovely.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiroto and Misaki are looking at a view from a hotel room.
- 大翔 Hiroto見て、夜景がとても素敵だよ。Mite, yakei ga totemo suteki dayo.Look, the night view is very lovely.
- 美咲 Misaki本当だね。すごくロマンチック。Hontō dane. Sugoku romantikku.You're right. It's so romantic.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲に似合う素敵な場所だと思った。Misaki ni niau suteki na basho da to omotta.I thought this was a lovely place that suits you, Misaki.
- 美咲 Misakiありがとう。嬉しいわ。Arigatō. Ureshii wa.Thank you. I'm happy.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 素敵, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 素敵, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
