Usage patterns 〈 事こと 〉 を 簡かん 素そ にする to simplify (make plain) something
The company simplified the procedures.
簡かん 素そ な 生せい 活かつ を 送おく る to lead a simple, modest life
He left the city and now leads a simple life.
簡かん 素そ な 儀ぎ 式しき a modest, unadorned ceremony
The wedding was held as a simple ceremony.
Kanji 素 elementary, principle, naked Related words 質素 stresses frugality and avoiding luxury in one's lifestyle, while 簡素 focuses on simplicity of form or design without implying cheapness.
シンプル is a casual, modern loanword for 'simple' often used for design, while 簡素 is more formal and typical of written descriptions.
簡略 emphasizes cutting down steps or content to make something brief and easy, whereas 簡素 emphasizes an unadorned, restrained overall style.
素朴 describes something naive, unsophisticated, or rustic in character, while 簡素 describes deliberate simplicity in design or form.
簡素 emphasizes plainness or austerity (e.g. a simple lifestyle), while 簡易 emphasizes ease of use or a reduced/simplified form of something standard.
Opposites 豪華 means lavish and luxurious, the opposite of the restrained plainness described by 簡素 .
複雑 means complicated or intricate, contrasting with the uncomplicated plainness of 簡素 .
簡素 describes something plain and unadorned, the opposite of the lavish, feature-rich quality implied by デラックス .
簡素 describes something plain and minimal, contrasting with 凝った , which describes something richly detailed or fancy.
Written forms 簡かん 素そ Usage 99%
Standard kanji spelling; common in news and formal writing.
かんそ Usage 1%
Etymology From Middle Chinese-derived kanji 簡 (simple, brief) and 素 (plain, element). The combination has been used in Japanese to mean 'simplicity' or 'plainness' since at least the Edo period.
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