柔らかい (やわらかい) Japanese meaning | 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.

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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.

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

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%

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