soft; weak; fragile; poorly built; insubstantial
Describes something physically soft, weak, or lacking strength/sturdiness. Often used for objects, materials, or a person's physical weakness. Can also imply something is poorly made or flimsy.
This board is soft and breaks easily.
This desk is flimsy, so don't put too much weight on it.
Despite his appearance, he has a weak side.
If you sit on that flimsy chair, it looks like it'll break.
Despite his looks, he has a frail body.
弱い is the general word for 'weak' in any sense, while やわ specifically suggests physical softness or poor sturdiness.
脆い emphasizes brittleness and a tendency to break, while やわ focuses more on overall softness or lack of solid construction.
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 柔 is rare and 和 is marked as rarely used.
Katakana spelling, sometimes used for emphasis or in casual writing.
Rare kanji form; the word is normally written in kana.
Rarely used kanji form; the word is normally written in kana.
The origin is uncertain; it may be related to the stem of やわらかい (soft).
mild; gentle; soft-spoken
gently; mildly; leniently · go easy on me/us/them; don't be too hard on me