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ぬるい Japanese meaning | Kotomora

ぬるい

ぬ

る

い

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

i-adjective

lukewarm; tepid

usually written using kana alone

Describes liquids or objects that are not hot enough, often with a negative nuance of being disappointingly cool.

スープがぬるくなってしまった。
The soup has gone lukewarm.
ぬるいお茶ちゃはおいしくない。
Lukewarm tea doesn't taste good.

2

i-adjective

lenient; soft; lax

usually written using kana alone

Used for attitudes, policies, or judgments that are too easygoing or not strict enough. Often carries a critical tone.

See also: 緩い (ゆるい)

彼かれの指し導どうはぬるいと言いわれている。
His coaching is said to be too lenient.
そんなぬるいやり方かたでは成せい功こうしない。
You won't succeed with such a lax approach.

Written forms

ぬるいUsage100%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 温い is also used but less common.
温ぬるい
Kanji form for 'lukewarm'; less common than kana. Not used for the 'lenient' sense.

Kanji

温warm

Similar words

温あたたかい
温かい means pleasantly warm, while ぬるい implies not warm enough or disappointingly tepid.
緩ゆるい
緩い (ゆるい) is the common word for 'loose' or 'lenient'; ぬるい in the lenient sense is less common and often carries a more critical nuance.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain, but it is a native Japanese word. The kanji 温 is associated with warmth, while 緩 is associated with looseness or leniency.