noun-modifying (irregular)
cute; adorable; charming; lovely; pretty
Prenominal adjective form (adj-f) used before nouns; equivalent to 可愛い but restricted to attributive position. Common in set phrases and literary style.
See also: かわいい
可愛子ちゃんには旅をさせよ。
Send a beloved child on a journey (spare the rod and spoil the child).
彼女は可愛らしい笑顔を見せた。
She showed a charming smile.
lovely; sweet; pretty; cute; adorable
doting; showing affection · harsh training; tormenting (ironic)
be affectionate to; dote on; cherish · show favoritism to; be partial to · pet; caress; fondle affectionately · be tough on; rough up; train harshly; torment
charm; lovable nature
gross but cute; repulsive yet adorable
ugly but cute; adorably ugly
Derived from 可愛い (kawaii), with the final い dropped to form a prenominal adjective. The kanji 可愛 are ateji (phonetic equivalents) for the native Japanese word.