“Sweet” in Japanese is 甘い (あまい), pronounced amai.
Pronunciation
The word has 3 beats (morae), each about the same length. Tap a syllable to hear it, or play the whole word:
How to use it
Sweet in taste, and also lenient: 子供に甘い, soft on kids.
Example sentences
- このケーキは甘いです。このケーキはあまいです。This cake is sweet.
- 甘いものが好きです。あまいものがすきです。I like sweet things.
Conjugation
The most useful forms of 甘い. The rules are explained in い- vs. な-adjectives.
| Form | Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Plain | 甘い あまい | sweet |
| Polite present | 甘いです あまいです | is sweet |
| Negative | 甘くないです あまくないです | isn’t sweet |
| Past | 甘かったです あまかったです | was sweet |
| Past negative | 甘くなかったです あまくなかったです | wasn’t sweet |
| て-form | 甘くて あまくて | sweet and… |
| Adverb (く) | 甘く あまく | adverb form (+ verb) |
Quick practice
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Related words: Adjectives
FAQ
How do you say sweet in Japanese?
Sweet in Japanese is 甘い (あまい), pronounced “amai”.
How do you write sweet in Japanese?
It's written 甘い with kanji, or あまい in hiragana. Both are read amai.
Is 甘い on the JLPT?
Yes. 甘い (amai) is a common word at JLPT N5 level, so it's worth learning early.