Translation guide
Describing a person's build as tall and slender, ranging from neutral to negative connotations.
Describe someone as tall and slim in a neutral or positive way, often implying an attractive or healthy build.
Describes a tall, slim, and graceful figure. Often used for both men and women. It has a positive, elegant nuance.
She has a tall and slim figure.
Means slender or slim, often with a delicate or refined impression. Can be used for people or objects.
He has slender fingers.
Loanword from English 'slim'. Commonly used in fashion and everyday conversation. Implies a healthy, attractive slimness.
Slim jeans suit you well.
Describe a tall, lean build without strong positive or negative connotations, often implying a lack of excess fat.
Literally 'thin and long'. Can describe body parts or overall build. Neutral, but can sound slightly awkward if overused for people.
He has long, thin legs.
Means tall and thin, often with a slightly awkward or gangly nuance. Can be neutral or mildly negative.
Express that someone is unhealthily or unattractively thin and tall, like 'lanky' or 'gangly'.
Onomatopoeic word meaning bony, skinny, or scrawny. Often negative, implying too thin. Can be used for people or animals.
He is skinny and bony.
Means bony or angular. Describes a body with prominent bones, often implying thinness.
His bony hands were striking.
Describes a tall, thin, and weak-looking person or thing. Often used for plants or people lacking strength.
Both mean slim, but すらりとした emphasizes height and elegance, while ほっそりとした focuses on delicate slimness and can be used for parts of the body or objects.
a tall, slim figure like a model
a slender waist
Directly translating 'tall and thin' as 高くて細い (たかくてほそい) is grammatically correct but sounds unnatural when describing a person's build. Use the adjectives above instead.
A tall, lanky young man was standing there.
ひょろひょろした男の子だった。
He was a lanky, weak-looking boy.