“Cute” in Japanese is 可愛い (かわいい), pronounced kawaii.
Pronunciation
The word has 4 beats (morae), each about the same length. Tap a syllable to hear it, or play the whole word:
How to use it
Cute, adorable or charming. Usually written in hiragana. Don’t confuse it with かわいそう, “poor thing”.
Example sentences
- この猫はかわいいです。このねこはかわいいです。This cat is cute.
- かわいい服ですね。かわいいふくですね。What cute clothes.
Conjugation
The most useful forms of 可愛い. The rules are explained in い- vs. な-adjectives.
| Form | Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Plain | 可愛い かわいい | cute |
| Polite present | 可愛いです かわいいです | is cute |
| Negative | 可愛くないです かわいくないです | isn’t cute |
| Past | 可愛かったです かわいかったです | was cute |
| Past negative | 可愛くなかったです かわいくなかったです | wasn’t cute |
| て-form | 可愛くて かわいくて | cute and… |
| Adverb (く) | 可愛く かわいく | adverb form (+ verb) |
Quick practice
Test yourself0/3
What does {{可愛い}} mean?
How do you read {{可愛い}}?
Which word means “sweet”?
Related words: Adjectives
FAQ
How do you say cute in Japanese?
Cute in Japanese is 可愛い (かわいい), pronounced “kawaii”.
How do you write cute in Japanese?
It's written 可愛い with kanji, or かわいい in hiragana. Both are read kawaii.
Is 可愛い on the JLPT?
Yes. 可愛い (kawaii) is a common word at JLPT N5 level, so it's worth learning early.