also: じゅうじゃく
Describes a person's character or physical constitution as lacking strength, often with a connotation of being overly gentle or yielding. Can imply a lack of masculine vigor when applied to men.
He has a weak personality and always gets swayed by others.
その男は柔弱で、力仕事には向いていない。
That man is feeble and not suited for physical labor.
柔弱 refers to a weak, effeminate character or disposition, while 脆弱 refers more to structural or physical fragility rather than personality.
Standard kanji form; the reading にゅうじゃく is more common than じゅうじゃく.
Alternate reading; less common and may be considered non-standard or archaic.
The kanji 柔 (soft, gentle) and 弱 (weak) combine to express weakness or lack of strength. The reading にゅうじゃく is the standard on'yomi; じゅうじゃく is a less common variant.