丁てい寧ねい

て

い

ね

い

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

na-adjective, noun

polite; courteous; civil

Describes a person's manner, speech, or behavior as respectful and well-mannered. Often used in social contexts.

彼かれはいつも丁てい寧ねいな言こと葉ば遣づかいをする。
He always uses polite language.
店てん員いん

の

対たい

応おう

が

とても

丁てい

寧ねい

だっ

た

。

The clerk's service was very courteous.

2

na-adjective, noun

careful; thorough; conscientious

Describes doing something with great attention to detail, without cutting corners. Common in work, study, and craftsmanship contexts.

彼かれは仕し事ごとが丁てい寧ねいで、ミスが少すくない。
He is careful in his work and makes few mistakes.
字じを丁てい寧ねいに書かいてください。
Please write the characters neatly and carefully.

Written forms

丁てい寧ねいUsage74%
Standard kanji form; high-frequency in news and general use.
ていねいUsage25%
叮てい嚀ねいUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; learners should recognize but not produce it.
テイネイUsage<1%

Kanji

丁street, ward, town
寧rather, preferably, peaceful
叮courtesy
嚀

Similar words

礼れい儀ぎ正ただしい
Focuses on correct etiquette and manners, while 丁寧 emphasizes considerate, careful behavior in both social and task-oriented contexts.
細こまかい
Means 'detailed' or 'meticulous', but can imply being overly particular; 丁寧 has a positive nuance of conscientious care.

Etymology

Originally from Chinese 叮嚀 (dīngníng), meaning 'to warn repeatedly' or 'to give careful instructions'. In Japanese, the meaning shifted to 'polite' and 'careful', likely through the idea of attentive, considerate behavior.

kindness