優しい人
yasashii hito
In Japanese, the phrase for 'someone is nice' is 優しい人 (yasashii hito).
The phrase 優しい人 is used to describe a person's character as being warm, gentle or considerate toward others.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 優しい (yasashii) literally means kind, gentle or easy/tender.
Which one should you use?
While 優しい (yasashii) refers to a person's kind personality, the word 易しい (yasashii) is a homophone that means 'easy' in the context of difficulty.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'someone is a kind person' in a complete sentence, you add です (desu) to the end to form 優しい人です.
How do you pronounce it?
yasashii hito
Did you know?
- In Japanese, calling someone 優しい can sometimes imply they are too soft or lack a strong will. Depending on the context, it may be a gentle critique of someone's inability to be firm.
- Japanese has a specific concept called 思いやり (omoiyari), which describes a proactive form of kindness where one anticipates needs before they are spoken.
- When praising someone as 優しい人, it is common to use a hesitant or modest tone, as overly direct praise can actually make the recipient feel awkward or embarrassed.
Examples in context
- 彼はとても優しい人です。Kare wa totemo yasashii hito desu.He is a very nice person.
- あそこに優しい人がいます。Asoko ni yasashii hito ga imasu.There is a nice person over there.
- 田中さんは優しい人ですね。Tanaka-san wa yasashii hito desu ne.Mr. Tanaka is a nice person, isn't he?
Example conversation
Yota and Himari are talking about a new neighbor.
- 陽太 Yota新しい隣人は優しい人ですか？Atarashii rinjin wa yasashii hito desu ka?Is the new neighbor a nice person?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、とても優しい人ですよ。Hai, totemo yasashii hito desu yo.Yes, she is a very nice person.
- 陽太 Yotaそれは安心しました。Sore wa anshin shimashita.That is a relief.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太さんもきっと気に入りますよ。Yota-san mo kitto kiniirimasu yo.You will surely like her too, Yota.
