すてき
sutekieveryday, compliment
In hiragana, "nice" can be すてき (suteki) for something lovely, いい (ii) for simply good, and やさしい (yasashii) for a kind, nice person.
Meaning: nice or lovely (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| すてき | suteki | everyday, compliment |
| いい | ii | casual |
| やさしい | yasashii | kind person |
Say すてきですね (suteki desu ne) as a compliment. The word やさしい (yasashii) also means "easy", so look at the context.
What does it mean word for word?
すてき is 素敵 in kanji. やさしい is 優しい.
Which one should you use?
すてき (suteki) is a compliment about looks or style, like a dress or a place. やさしい (yasashii) means gentle and kind. いい (ii) is a plain "good".
Did you know?
- The word すてき (suteki) is used mostly in conversation, and written Japanese often prefers すばらしい (subarashii) for "wonderful".
Examples in context
- すてきな ぼうしですね。Suteki na bōshi desu ne.That is a nice hat.
- かれは やさしい ひとです。Kare wa yasashii hito desu.He is a nice person.
- いい ひとですね。Ii hito desu ne.He is a good person.
Example conversation
Rika compliments her coworker Shiori on her new bag.
- Rikaそのかばん、すてきですね。Sono kaban, suteki desu ne.That bag is nice.
- Shioriありがとう。せんしゅう かったの。Arigatō. Senshū katta no.Thanks. I bought it last week.
- Rikaとても にあってるよ。Totemo niatteru yo.It suits you well.
