How do you say "light" in Japanese?

軽い

Karui

Adjective Kanji

In Japanese, "light" is 軽い (Karui).

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Pronunciation

軽い is written using kanji. Romanised as Karui, it sounds roughly like "kah-roo-ee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Karui (軽い) is an i-adjective for light weight, and also describes mild or casual things like light meals or light exercise. The opposite is omoi (heavy).

Example sentence

このカバンはとても軽いです。

Kono kaban wa totemo karui desu.

This bag is very light.

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How to remember 軽い

Karui sounds like it could fly away on the wind. The word itself is light and easy to say, matching the concept.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese adjectives.

Questions about 軽い

How do you pronounce 軽い?

軽い is romanised as Karui. Say it roughly like "kah-roo-ee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 軽い formal or casual?

軽い is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 軽い written in Japanese?

軽い is written using kanji. Karui (軽い) is an i-adjective for light weight, and also describes mild or casual things like light meals or light exercise.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Light" in other languages

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