彼女は綺麗です
kanojo wa kirei desu
The English phrase "she is beautiful" is expressed in Japanese as 彼女は綺麗です (kanojo wa kirei desu).
This phrase is used to describe a woman or girl as being physically attractive or lovely. The word 彼女 means "she" or "her", and 綺麗 can mean "beautiful" when describing appearance, though it also means "clean" or "neat". In Japanese, the subject is often omitted if the context makes it clear who is being discussed.
What does it mean word for word?
彼女 (kanojo) literally means "she" or "her", and 綺麗 (kirei) means "beautiful", "clean" or "neat".
Which one should you use?
While 綺麗 is common for everyday beauty, 美しい (utsukushii) is a more formal, poetic or profound word for "beautiful".
How does it change in a sentence?
Replacing the polite です (desu) with the plain form だ (da), which is a sentence-ending copula used in informal speech, makes the sentence informal.
How do you pronounce it?
kanojo wa kirei desu
Did you know?
- While 彼女 (kanojo) translates to 'she', it is also the standard Japanese word for 'girlfriend'.
- The word 綺麗 (kirei) is often written in Katakana as キレイ in advertisements or magazines to give it a more stylish, modern feel.
- To avoid sounding too direct or aggressive, Japanese speakers often avoid using the word 彼女 (she) entirely. They would instead use the person's name followed by さん (san) even if the person is standing right there.
Examples in context
- 彼女は綺麗です。Kanojo wa kirei desu.She is beautiful.
Example conversation
Hii and Ren are looking at a picture of a friend.
- 陽葵 Himariこの写真を見てください。Kono shashin o mite kudasai.Please look at this photo.
- 蓮 Renわあ、彼女は綺麗です。Wā, kanojo wa kirei desu.Wow, she is beautiful.
- 陽葵 Himariそうですね。とても素敵です。Sō desu ne. Totemo suteki desu.I agree. She is very lovely.
- 蓮 Renどこで撮った写真ですか。Doko de totta shashin desu ka.Where was this photo taken?
