What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of きれい (kirei), which means beautiful, lovely or even clean and pure. だ (da), the informal version of the copula meaning 'is/am/are'. And the sentence-ending particle ね (ne), which is used to seek agreement or express a shared feeling, similar to saying 'isn't it?' or 'right?' in English.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase きれいだね is informal and carries a friendly, warm tone. For a more polite version appropriate for someone you are not close to, use きれいですね, which replaces the informal だ with the polite です.
How does it change in a sentence?
To connect the adjective きれい to a noun, such as when saying 'a beautiful person', you must use the particle な to form きれいな人. You should not say Kirei hito.
How do you pronounce it?
kirei da ne
What mistakes should you avoid?
When trying to say 'a beautiful person', do not say 'Kirei hito'. You must use the particle な to connect the adjective to the noun, resulting in きれいな人.
Did you know?
- If you want to compliment a man's appearance, you would typically avoid きれい and use かっこいい ('cool' or 'handsome') instead.
- In Japanese culture, it is often more common to compliment a specific feature, like 目がきれい ('eyes are pretty'), rather than the person as a whole.
- The term きれい can be used to describe a person's soul or a pure heart, moving the compliment from the physical to the spiritual realm.
Examples in context
- 君は本当にきれいだね。Kimi wa hontō ni kirei da ne.You are truly pretty.
Example conversation
Kenta is complimenting Himari on her appearance at a party.
- 陽葵 Himari準備に時間かかったよ。Junbi ni jikan kakatta yo.It took me a long time to get ready.
- 健太 Kentaその甲斐があったね。きれいだね。Sono kai ga atta ne. Kirei da ne.It was worth it. You're pretty.
- 陽葵 Himari本当？ありがとう、健太。Hontō? Arigatō, Kenta.Really? Thank you, Kenta.
- 健太 Kentaうん、本当に似合ってるよ。Un, hontō ni niatteru yo.Yeah, it really suits you.
