軟
soft
Readings
On'yomi
- ナン
Kun'yomi
- やわ.らか
- やわ.らかい
Meaning
軟 centers on the quality of being soft, pliable, or yielding to pressure, like a cushion or a flexible material.
Most common words using 軟
20 of 115- 軟派なんぱ
seducer; smooth talker; ladies' man; playboy; playgirl
- 柔軟じゅうなんN1
flexible; lithe; soft; pliable
- 軟式なんしき
soft (esp. of softball, tennis, etc.)
- 軟骨なんこつ
cartilage
- 軟弱なんじゃく
weakness
- 軟膏なんこう
ointment; salve
- 軟禁なんきん
house arrest
- 軟化なんかN1
softening
- 軟体なんたい
flexible body (esp. in gymnastics); agile physique
- 軟水なんすい
soft water
- 軟体動物なんたいどうぶつ
mollusc; mollusk
- 軟質なんしつ
softness
- 軟着陸なんちゃくりく
soft landing
- 硬軟こうなん
hardness and softness; hard line and moderate line
- 軟鋼なんこう
mild steel
- 軟便なんべん
loose or soft stool
- 軟調なんちょう
weak (market); bearish
- 軟性なんせい
softness; flexibility; elasticity
- 柔軟体操じゅうなんたいそう
calisthenics
- 軟投なんとう
soft pitch
Study
Etymology
軟 combines 車 (vehicle) and 欠 (lack), suggesting a vehicle that lacks rigidity or is soft. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the modern form visually conveys softness through the idea of a yielding cart.
Meaning mnemonic
A cart (車) that is missing (欠) its sturdy frame becomes soft and flexible, like a wagon with no rigid structure.
Reading mnemonic
For ナン, imagine a soft naan bread (ナン) being placed on a cart: naan -> ナン, and the bread is soft like the kanji's meaning.