柔らかい (やわらかい, yawarakai) Japanese meaning: soft | Kotomora

柔やわらかい

や

わ

ら

か

い

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

柔らかい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	柔やわらかい	柔やわらかくない
Polite	柔やわらかいです	柔やわらかくないですalso 柔やわらかくありません
Past polite	柔やわらかかったです	柔やわらかくなかったですalso 柔やわらかくありませんでした
Past	柔やわらかかった	柔やわらかくなかった
Te-form	柔やわらかくて	柔やわらかくなくて
Adverbial	柔やわらかく
Conditional	柔やわらかければ	柔やわらかくなければ
Tara conditional	柔やわらかかったら	柔やわらかくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

soft; tender; supple

Describes physical softness, tenderness, or pliability of objects, materials, or body parts.

このパンはとても柔

Kanji

柔tender, weakness, gentleness
軟soft

Related words· 6

柔じゅう軟なんN1sense 4
柔軟 is a noun/adjectival-noun used for flexible thinking, policies, or physical suppleness, while 柔らかい is the everyday i-adjective covering the same idea plus texture, light, and mildness senses.
穏おだやかN3sense 2
穏やか describes a calm, mild personality or atmosphere, close to 柔らかい's gentle-mannered sense but without any physical-softness meaning.
柔じゅう
柔らかい is the everyday adjective meaning 'soft' or 'tender', while 柔 is the abstract noun form used in more formal or philosophical contexts.
ソフトN4
柔らかい is the native Japanese word for something physically soft or supple, while ソフト is a loanword more often used for manner, style, or intensity.

Show 2 more

やわ
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.
しなやかN1
柔らかい is a general i-adjective for softness of texture, while しなやか emphasizes supple, resilient flexibility, as in a body or branch that bends without breaking.

Opposites

硬かたいN4sense 1
硬い describes physical hardness or stiffness, the direct opposite of 柔らかい in the sense of texture or rigidity.
厳きびしいN4sense 2
厳しい describes a strict or harsh manner, the opposite of 柔らかい's gentle, mild sense.
カチカチN1
柔らかい describes something soft and pliable, the opposite of カチカチ describing something dried-out and hard.

Don't confuse with

やんわりN1
やわらかい is an adjective describing physical softness (of an object or texture), while やんわり is an adverb describing a gentle, mild manner of speaking or acting.
和やわらげるN1
柔らかい is an adjective describing physical softness of texture, while 和らげる is a verb meaning to soften pain, tension, or tone, not physical texture.

Word family· 8

柔やわらかN1
soft; tender; pliant · soft; subdued; gentle; mild · informal; light; flexible
手て柔やわらか
gentle; mild; lenient
柔やわらかさ
softness; tenderness
柔やわらかみ
softness; gentleness

Written forms

柔やわらかいUsage55%
Most common kanji spelling for general softness, tenderness, and flexibility.
やわらかいUsage34%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the intended kanji nuance is not important.
軟やわらかいUsage9%
Alternative kanji spelling, often used for physical softness or pliability.
柔やわらかいUsage2%
search-only kanji form

Etymology

Derived from classical Japanese やはらかし (yawaraka-shi), with the root やわ- related to softness or gentleness. The kanji 柔 and 軟 both convey softness, with 柔 emphasizing pliancy and 軟 emphasizing physical softness.

柔やわらかい

Meanings

Usage patterns

Expressions