How do you say "soft" in Japanese?

柔らかい

Yawarakai

Adjective Kanji

In Japanese, "soft" is 柔らかい (Yawarakai).

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Pronunciation

柔らかい is written using kanji. Romanised as Yawarakai, it sounds roughly like "yah-wah-rah-kah-ee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Yawarakai (柔らかい) is an i-adjective for soft textures, gentle light, or kind personalities. Yawarakai hito means a gentle person, and yawarakai pan means soft bread.

Example sentence

このベッドはとても柔らかいです。

Kono beddo wa totemo yawarakai desu.

This bed is very soft.

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How to remember 柔らかい

The kanji 柔 uses the wood radical to suggest flexibility and bending. Picture wood bending gently without breaking.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese adjectives.

Questions about 柔らかい

How do you pronounce 柔らかい?

柔らかい is romanised as Yawarakai. Say it roughly like "yah-wah-rah-kah-ee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 柔らかい formal or casual?

柔らかい 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 柔らかい written in Japanese?

柔らかい is written using kanji. Yawarakai (柔らかい) is an i-adjective for soft textures, gentle light, or kind personalities.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Soft" in other languages

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