Usage patterns 〈 物もの 〉 がやわだ for a thing to be flimsy or weakly built
This desk is flimsy, so don't put too much weight on it.
やわな 〈 物もの 〉 a flimsy, poorly built thing
If you sit on that flimsy chair, it looks like it'll break.
〈 人ひと 〉 はやわだ for a person to be physically weak or frail
Despite his looks, he has a frail body.
Kanji 柔 tender, weakness, gentleness 和 harmony, Japanese style, peace Related words 柔らかい is the standard i-adjective meaning 'soft', while やわ is a colloquial adjectival noun that adds a nuance of weakness or flimsiness.
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.
Opposites 丈夫 describes something sturdy and durable, the opposite of やわ 's flimsy, poorly-built weakness.
硬い means physically hard or firm, contrasting with やわ 's sense of softness or lack of firmness.
Word family· 11 soft; tender; supple · gentle; mild; mellow · light; informal · flexible; adaptable; malleable
soft; tender; pliant · soft; subdued; gentle; mild · informal; light; flexible
soft; tender · weak; feeble
soft fair skin
judo; jujutsu
Show 6 more Show fewer soft flesh; supple body
softness; tenderness
softness; gentleness
softish; on the soft side; somewhat soft
mild; gentle; soft-spoken
gently; mildly; leniently · go easy on me/us/them; don't be too hard on me
Written forms やわ Usage 39%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 柔 is rare and 和 is marked as rarely used.
ヤワ Usage 32%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling, sometimes used for emphasis or in casual writing.
柔やわ Usage 28%
Rare kanji form; the word is normally written in kana.
和やわ
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; the word is normally written in kana.
Etymology The origin is uncertain; it may be related to the stem of やわらかい (soft).
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