かわいそう

か

わ

い

そ

う

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

na-adjective, noun

usually written using kana alone

Expresses sympathy or pity toward someone or something in a sad or unfortunate situation. Often used in a compassionate tone.

彼かれは一人ひとりで泣ないていて、本ほん当とうにかわいそうだ。

He was crying alone, and I really felt sorry for him.

かわいそうUsage64%
Kana spelling is standard; the word is usually written in kana.
可哀想かわいそうUsage19%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Ateji kanji form; seen in some writing but less common than kana.
可哀相かわいそうUsage10%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Ateji kanji form; historically common but now less frequent.
可哀かわいそうUsage7%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Mixed kana-kanji ateji form; rarely used.
カワイソウUsage<1%
可愛かわいそう
Ateji form using 可愛; can be confused with 可愛い (かわいい).

気きの毒どく
気の毒 is more formal and often used when feeling sorry for someone's misfortune, while かわいそう is more emotional and commonly used in everyday speech.
哀あわれ
哀れ is more literary and can imply a deeper, sometimes tragic pity, whereas かわいそう is softer and more colloquial.

Derived from かわいい (cute, lovable) with the suffix そう (seems, looks), literally 'seems pitiable'. The kanji forms are ateji.

inter-, mutual, together

愛love, affection, favourite