大人しい (otonashii) Japanese meaning: gentle | Kotomora

大人おとなしい

お

と

な

し

い

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

大人しい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	大人おとなしい	大人おとなしくない
Polite	大人おとなしいです	大人おとなしくないですalso 大人おとなしくありません
Past polite	大人おとなしかったです	大人おとなしくなかったですalso 大人おとなしくありませんでした
Past	大人おとなしかった	大人おとなしくなかった
Te-form	大人おとなしくて	大人おとなしくなくて
Adverbial	大人おとなしく
Conditional	大人おとなしければ	大人おとなしくなければ
Tara conditional	大人おとなしかったら	大人おとなしくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

gentle; quiet; docile; well-behaved

usually written using kana alone

Describes a person or animal that is calm, not aggressive, and easy to handle. Often used for children, pets, or someone with a mild temperament.

Kanji

大large, big
人person
温warm
和harmony, Japanese style, peace

Related words

穏おだやかN3sense 1
穏やか describes an overall calm, peaceful state (weather, mood, personality), while 大人しい focuses on a person or animal being docile and non-aggressive.
静しずかN5sense 1
静か means quiet in terms of low noise or a calm atmosphere, whereas 大人しい describes a gentle, easily-managed temperament.
従じゅう順じゅん sense 1
従順 emphasizes obedience to others' wishes, while 大人しい simply describes a calm, non-aggressive nature without implying obedience.
神しん妙みょう
おとなしい describes a generally gentle, quiet personality, while 神妙 describes a temporary, situation-induced meekness such as after being scolded.
内うち気きN2
大人しい describes a calm, gentle, or quiet demeanor that may or may not involve shyness, while 内気 specifically describes a shy or bashful disposition.

Opposites

乱らん暴ぼうN3sense 1
乱暴 describes rough, violent behavior, the opposite of the calm, docile nature described by 大人しい.
派は手でN3sense 2
派手 describes flashy, showy colors or designs, the opposite of the subdued, understated look meant by 大人しい.
わんぱくN1
おとなしい describes a calm, well-behaved child, the opposite of a 腕白 (rowdy, mischievous) one.

Don't confuse with

大人おとなN5
大人 means 'adult' and is a noun, while 大人しい is an adjective meaning 'quiet/docile' and does not mean 'adult-like' despite sharing the kanji.
大人おとなっぽい
大人しい looks similar but means 'quiet, obedient' (temperament), whereas 大人っぽい means 'adult-like, mature-seeming' (appearance/behavior).
無む口くちN2
おとなしい describes gentle, mild-mannered behavior in general and can apply to a talkative person, while 無口 specifically means someone speaks very little.

Word family

おとなしく
meekly; obediently; quietly
大人おとなしやか
gentle; quiet; demure; mild-mannered

Written forms

大人おとなしいUsage18%
Standard kanji form, though the word is usually written in kana.
おとなしいUsage82%
Kana spelling is the most common written form.
温和おとなしい
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

Derived from the classical adjective おとなし (otonashi), meaning 'adult-like' or 'mature', from 大人 (otona, 'adult') + し (shi, adjectival suffix). The modern form おとなしい developed through regular sound change.

Meanings

Usage patterns