か弱よわい

か

よ

わ

い

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

か弱い · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	か弱よわい	か弱よわくない
Polite	か弱よわいです	か弱よわくないですalso か弱よわくありません
Past polite	か弱よわかったです	か弱よわくなかったですalso か弱よわくありませんでした
Past	か弱よわかった	か弱よわくなかった
Te-form	か弱よわくて	か弱よわくなくて
Adverbial	か弱よわく
Conditional	か弱よわければ	か弱よわくなければ
Tara conditional	か弱よわかったら	か弱よわくなかったら

Meanings

Emphasizes physical or emotional weakness, often with a nuance of pity or vulnerability. The prefix か intensifies 弱い.

か弱よわい〈人ひと〉a frail, delicate (person)
か弱よわい女じょ性せいを助たすけてあげたい。
I want to help the frail woman.
か弱よわい声こえa weak, faint voice
彼かの女じょはか弱よわい声こえで助たすけを求もとめた。
She called for help in a weak, faint voice.
か弱よわい体からだa frail, delicate body
か弱よわい体からだで長ながい旅たびを続つづけた。
She continued the long journey with her frail body.

弱よわいN5
弱い is the plain, general word for 'weak', while か弱い adds an emphatic, sympathetic nuance of being pitifully or touchingly frail.
もろいN1
脆い describes something that breaks or gives way easily (physically fragile), while か弱い describes a person or creature who seems delicate and in need of protection.
華きゃ奢しゃ
華奢 focuses on a slender, delicate physical build, whereas か弱い emphasizes overall fragility and evokes pity or a desire to protect.
頼たよりないN1
頼りない means 'unreliable/seeming incapable', while か弱い specifically points to physical or emotional frailty rather than a lack of dependability.

強つよいN5
強い means 'strong', the direct opposite of the frailty and vulnerability expressed by か弱い.

Formed from the prefix か (emphatic) + 弱い (weak). The prefix か is also seen in words like か細い and adds a sense of delicacy or pity.