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Kotomora

軟

soft

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes11

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

Explore all words using 軟 →

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.