甘い · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 甘い | 甘くない |
| Polite | 甘いです | 甘くないですalso 甘くありません |
| Past polite | 甘かったです | 甘くなかったですalso 甘くありませんでした |
| Past | 甘かった | 甘くなかった |
| Te-form | 甘くて | 甘くなくて |
| Adverbial | 甘く | |
| Conditional | 甘ければ | 甘くなければ |
| Tara conditional | 甘かったら | 甘くなかったら |
Basic taste of sugar, honey, or ripe fruit. Also used for sweet-smelling things.
This cake is very sweet.
Sweet-smelling flowers are blooming.
sweet (smell, sound); fragrant; melodious
Describes a pleasant, gentle smell or a sweet, soft sound, often in literary or poetic contexts.
Sweet music was playing in the room.
lightly salted; mild; not spicy
Used for food that is not strongly seasoned, especially with salt or spice. 甘い味噌 means mild, less salty miso. Sense 7 (mild) is merged here as it overlaps with this usage.
These pickles are mild and easy to eat.
Mild curry can be eaten even by children.
naive; overly optimistic; soft
Describes a person, idea, or attitude that is too optimistic, lenient, or lacking critical judgment. Common in phrases like 甘く見る (underestimate) and 考えが甘い (one's thinking is naive).
See also: 甘く見る
He takes the world too lightly.
You can't succeed with such naive thinking.
half-hearted; insufficient; lax
Describes work, effort, or discipline that is not strict or thorough enough. Often used in negative evaluations. Sense 6 (insufficient) is merged here as it is a natural extension of half-heartedness.
We lost the game because our practice was too lax.
His work has some sloppy parts.
tempting; enticing; sweet (words)
Used for words, offers, or conditions that are attractively sweet but possibly deceptive. Often appears in set phrases like 甘い言葉 (sweet talk) or 甘い誘惑 (tempting lure).
See also: 甘い言葉
Don't be fooled by sweet words.
Thinking you'll succeed that easily is pretty naive of you.
This miso soup is mildly seasoned, not too salty.
Security in this building is lax, so you should be careful.