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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "weak" in Japanese?
弱い
Yowai
In Japanese, "weak" is 弱い (Yowai).
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Pronunciation
弱い is written using kanji. Romanised as Yowai, it sounds roughly like "yoh-wah-ee" to an English ear.
Writing and usage
Yowai (弱い) is an i-adjective for weak strength, fragile structures, mild flavors, or weak signal. Its opposite is tsuyoi (strong).
Example sentence
その橋は少し弱いです。
Sono hashi wa sukoshi yowai desu.
That bridge is a little weak.
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How to remember 弱い
The kanji 弱 has a bow radical, suggesting something bent or not sturdy. Picture a bow bending under slight pressure.
Related words
- sixty-two 六十二 rokujūni
- forty-three 四十三 yonjūsan
- thirty-seven 三十七 sanjūnana
- thirty-six 三十六 sanjūroku
- sixty-nine 六十九 rokujūkyū
- ninety-two 九十二 kyūjūni
- seventy 七十 nanajū
- seventy-four 七十四 nanajūyon
- wet 濡れた nureta
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 弱い
How do you pronounce 弱い?
弱い is romanised as Yowai. Say it roughly like "yoh-wah-ee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.
Is 弱い formal or casual?
弱い 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 弱い written in Japanese?
弱い is written using kanji. Yowai (弱い) is an i-adjective for weak strength, fragile structures, mild flavors, or weak signal.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
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"Weak" in other languages
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