可愛い
kawaii[ka̠β̞a̠ii]
In Japanese, 'pretty' can be expressed as 可愛い (kawaii). Wiktionary also lists 綺麗な (kirei-na).
Meaning: especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive (adj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 可愛い | kawaii | [ka̠β̞a̠ii] (narrow) [ka̠β̞a̠jɯ̟i] (narrow) |
| 綺麗な | kirei-na |
The term 'pretty' in Japanese is especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive (adj).
Which one should you use?
可愛い is used for things that are 'cute' or 'adorable', often implying a sense of smallness or charm. In contrast, 綺麗な can mean both 'pretty/beautiful' and 'clean/tidy'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective 可愛い follows standard i-adjective conjugation to form the past tense 可愛かった.
How do you pronounce it?
kawaii
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use 'pretty' to mean 'beautiful' in a sophisticated sense, but using 可愛い for a sophisticated woman might sound patronizing as it implies she is 'cute' or 'childlike'.
Did you know?
- The word 可愛い (kawaii) has a surprising history, originally meaning something that was 'shameful' or 'embarrassing' to one's face. Over centuries, the meaning shifted from causing shame to evoking pity, then compassion, and finally arriving at its modern meaning of 'lovable'.
- In Japan, the concept of 可愛い extends far beyond people to include food, stationery and even entire styles of fashion. It describes a specific aesthetic of charm and smallness rather than just facial beauty.
Examples in context
- 蝶々って可愛い。Butterflies are pretty.This sentence shows how to use 可愛い to describe butterflies.Tatoeba #9848204 by small_snow, translation #6050950 by Hybrid
- わぁ、綺麗な指輪！Wow, pretty ring!This sentence uses 綺麗な to express admiration for a ring.Tatoeba #10367443 by small_snow, translation #10370414 by terrywallwork
- 彼女、可愛いよね？She's pretty, isn't she?This sentence uses 可愛い to confirm if a woman is pretty.Tatoeba #12698621 by small_snow, translation #4597307 by Hybrid
- 彼女は美しいドレスを着ています。She is wearing a beautiful dress.
- 彼女の麗しい振る舞いに皆感銘を受けました。Everyone was impressed by her graceful behavior.
- この花はきれいですね。This flower is beautiful, isn't it?
- あの子猫はとてもかわいいです。That kitten is very cute.
- 昨日、友達がすごくきれいだった。Yesterday, my friend looked really pretty.
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui shows Yota a picture of her niece.
- 結衣 Yui見て、この子が私の姪っ子だよ。Mite, kono ko ga watashi no meikko dayo.Look, this is my niece.
- 陽太 Yotaわあ、本当に可愛いね！Waa, hontou ni kawaii ne!Wow, she is really pretty!
- 結衣 Yuiありがとう。性格もいいんだよ。Arigatou. Seikaku mo ii ndayo.Thank you. She has a great personality too.
- 陽太 Yotaあなたに似て可愛いね。Anata ni nite kawaii ne.She's pretty, just like you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pretty” translations and entries 可愛い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 可愛い, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
