Japanese word for beautiful one

There are plenty of ways to say “beautiful” in Japanese. The most common way is to say 美しい (utsukushii) which quite literally translates to “beautiful”.

美しい (utsukushii) is what’s called an i-adjective. Its meaning is considerably more intense than the English word “beautiful”.

In short, when you describe something as 美しい (utsukushii), you’re conveying a little more than simply “beautiful”.

In Japanese, saying 美しい (utsukushii) conveys an image of “true beauty”. Therefore it should be reserved for when you feel something is truly breathtaking.

There are many other ways to say “beautiful” in Japanese, such as 綺麗 (kirei).

綺麗 (kirei) is a less intensive version of 美しい (utsukushii) that also means “beautiful”.

However, unlike 美しい (utsukushii), you can use 綺麗 (kirei) to describe the cleanliness of something too. If something is 綺麗 (kirei), it means it’s tidy and/or clean.

To call someone beautiful in Japanese, you can use either the more intense 美しい (utsukushii), or the pleasant 綺麗 (kirei).

You will become increasingly aware of the myriad intricacies associated with many Japanese words and phrases as your studies progress.

There are also many ways to conjugate 美しい (utsukushii) and 綺麗 (kirei) to express things such as “beauty”, “was beautiful” and so on.

To master these conjugations and intricacies, I recommend taking a look at LingoDeer, a unique language app that is not only fun and educational but entertaining too.

LingoDeer features a host of themes extending from personal to professional life, all of which are taught in a variety of lesson styles and feature excellent audio quality voiced by native Japanese speakers.

All entries in this ultimate guide have been coupled with an audio clip for your correct pronunciation reference!

• Beautiful.
  美しい。
  utsukushii.

美しい (utsukushii) is one of the two main ways to say “beautiful” in Japanese. It is an i-adjective that can be used to describe something or someone that is truly beautiful.

The kanji is 美 which directly translates to “beauty” or “beautiful”.

美しい (utsukushii) is a very powerful word that means “beautiful” in Japanese. It is much stronger than the English word.

This means that calling someone or something 美しい (utsukushii) should be done sparingly, and only when you honestly feel the sheer beauty radiating from the person or thing.

You’re Beautiful in Japanese – 美しい (utsukushii)

To compliment someone and say “you’re beautiful” in casual Japanese you can simply say the person’s name +は美しい (ha utsukushii).

• [name]は美しい。
  [name] ha utsukushii.
  You’re beautiful.

In Japanese, instead of referring to others as “you” like we do in English, you should instead use the person’s actual name. You can use あなた (anata) which does mean “you”, however calling someone who is not your significant other あなた (anata) can sound unnatural. Therefore using the person’s name is the best way to address them!

美しい (utsukushii) is a considerably intense word. Hence, you’re best off using it to describe someone only when you feel that they are truly beautiful. There is a lot of emphasis on “truly”! Overuse of this word to compliment someone can radiate abnormal vibes.

Beautiful on The Inside

Unique to 美しい (utsukushii), you can use this word to describe someone or something as being beautiful both on the outside and inside. This means that 美しい (utsukushii) can describe the fundamental core of something as being beautiful.

For example, you could describe a particular place as 美しい (utsukushii).

• この村はとても美しい。
  kono mura ha totemo utsukushii.
  This village is really beautiful.

By calling the village 美しい (utsukushii), you refer not only to its outside appearance but also to the spirit and history of the village as a whole. For that reason, 美しい (utsukushii) is a very pure and sophisticated adjective. It has different nuances compared to the other ways to say “beautiful” in Japanese.

Something is Beautiful in Japanese

There are two ways to say “something is beautiful” in Japanese using 美しい (utsukushii). Firstly, you can use the sentence structure [noun]は美しい, replacing [noun] with the subject. For example:

• 景色は美しい。
  keshiki ha utsukushii.
  The scenery is beautiful.

The second way is to use 美しい (utsukushii) as a noun modifier. As 美しい (utsukushii) is an adjective, it can be placed before a noun to modify it.

• 美しい物語だった。
  utsukushii monogatari data.
  That was a beautiful story.

You do not need to do any conjugations with 美しい (utsukushii) when you use it to modify nouns. Simply say it before a noun to describe it as beautiful.

The Word For Beauty in Japanese

• Beauty.
  美しさ。
  utsukushisa.

The word for “beauty” in Japanese is 美しさ (utsukushisa). You can use 美しさ (utsukushisa) to refer to the beauty of someone or something.

• 日本は自然の美しさで有名だ。
  nihon ha shizen no utsukushisa de yuumei da.
  Japan is famous for its natural beauty.

In Japanese, when you replace the final い (i) of an i-adjective with さ (sa) you nominalise it. What this means is that you’re essentially transforming the adjective into a noun. 美しい (utsukushishii), an adjective which means “beautiful”, becomes 美しさ (utsukushisa) a noun that means “beauty”.

You can do this with any i-adjective in Japanese. For na-adjectives, simply replace the な (na) with さ (sa).

Beautiful Person in Japanese

• Beautiful Person/Woman.
  美人。
  bijin.

A great way to compliment someone is to call them a beautiful person. In Japanese, you can do this by calling them 美人 (bijin). The word 美人 (bijin) is a noun that you can use to describe someone as being naturally beautiful.

You’ll often hear 美人 (bijin) used to compliment someone’s appearance rather than their personality. I have composed an ultimate guide titled “How to say Soul in Japanese” that covers this in more detail.

Furthermore, 美人 (bijin) is a compliment that is mostly used for women in Japanese.

• 相変わらず美人だね。
  aikawarazu bijin da ne.
  You’re as beautiful as ever.

As mentioned earlier, it’s very common to omit pronouns in Japanese when the context is clear. For that reason, in the above example, the pronoun “you” has been omitted from the Japanese text.

The word 美人 (bijin) is composed of two kanji. Firstly, 美 which means “beautiful” appears in 美しい (utsukushii) (explained above). The second kanji is 人 (hito), which when used as part of a compound, reads as じん (jin). 人 (hito) means “person” in Japanese.

Combined they make 美人 (bijin), which quite literally means “beautiful person”. Despite this 美人 (bijin) is still mostly used to describe a beautiful woman. That is not to say that complimenting anyone else with 美人 (bijin) is wrong though. It’s entirely down to the individual.

The Japanese Word For Beautiful Girl

• Beautiful Girl.
  美女。
  bijo.

To specify that the person you’re complimenting is a female, you can use 美女 (bijo). When you call someone 美女 (bijo), you’re calling them a “beautiful girl”, or “beautiful woman” in Japanese.

• 彼女は世界で一番美女だ。
  kanojo ha sekai de ichiban bijo da.
  She is the most beautiful girl in the world.

The only difference between 美女 (bijo) and 美人 (bijin) is the final kanji. In 美女 (bijo), the final kanji is 女, which means “woman” or “female” in Japanese. So quite literally, the word 美女 (bijo) means “beautiful female”.

Pretty in Japanese

• Pretty.
  綺麗。
  kirei.

The second out of the two main ways to call something or someone pretty in Japanese is 綺麗 (kirei). When you want to describe an object or person having a pleasant appearance, you can use 綺麗 (kirei).

Unlike 美しい (utsukushii), 綺麗 (kirei) strictly refers to the appearance of something or someone. 綺麗 (kirei) is the best way to describe something or someone as beautiful in a general sense.

For example, you could compliment someone on being pretty or beautiful:

• 髪は超綺麗だね。
  kami ha chou kirei da ne.
  Your hair is so pretty.

Note how in the above example, the pronoun “you” has been omitted. This is because the omission of pronouns is common in Japanese when the context is clear.

You can also describe an object as being pretty:

• たくさん綺麗な写真を持ってるね。
  takusan kirei na shashin wo motteru ne.
  You have so many beautiful photos, don’t you?

Where 美しい (utsukushii) is an i-adjective, 綺麗 (kirei) is a na-adjective, despite ending with “i”. This means that when you modify a noun with 綺麗 (kirei) you have to include the な (na) between the adjective and noun.

For example, “beautiful scenery” in Japanese, would be 綺麗な景色。

• 綺麗な景色を見るのが好き。
  kirei na keshiki wo miru no ga suki.
  I like looking at the beautiful scenery.

By itself, 綺麗な (kireina) simply means “beautiful” or “pretty”.  When な (na) is included, it becomes 綺麗な (kireina) which works as a noun modifier. It is important to remember to include the な (na) when 綺麗 (kirei) comes before a noun. This is a question that often appears in the JLPT exams!

Describing Something as Clean/Tidy

The na-adjective 綺麗 (kirei), can also be used to describe something as being clean or tidy. For instance, if you notice that your friend’s room was surprisingly free of clutter today, you could say:

• 今日部屋が綺麗だね。
  kyou heya ga kirei da ne.
  Your room is clean today, isn’t it?

You’re also not limited to using 綺麗 (kirei) to describe clean objects or places either. You can also use 綺麗 (kirei) to refer to a “clean” person. For example, you could say after a shower:

• シャワー気持ちよかった！綺麗になった。
  shawa- kimochiyokatta! kirei ni natta.
  The shower was refreshing! I feel clean now.

You can only describe clean or tidy things with 綺麗 (kirei). Using 美しい (utsukushii) would sound unnatural.

The Kanji For “Beautiful” 綺麗 (kirei)

The kanji for 綺麗 (kirei) is, as you may have noticed, quite complex. For this reason, it’s actually common to simply write it in hiragana instead.

In hiragana, 綺麗 (kirei) is きれい.

The first kanji is 綺, which means “beautiful”. However, this kanji is rarely seen outside of 綺麗 (kirei). The second kanji is 麗 which means “lovely”, “beautiful” or “graceful”.

You may see 綺麗 (kirei) written in kanji in newspapers and articles, but not so much elsewhere.

Different to 美しい (utsukushii), you can use 綺麗 (kirei) often in general conversation to describe the beauty of something or someone.

For instance, say you’re out hiking and you reach the top of the mountain. You turn around and are greeted with a beautiful view. In English, we may say something along the lines of “wow, amazing!”

In Japanese, it’s common to say 綺麗 (kirei)! Essentially “it’s beautiful!”.

Cute in Japanese

• Cute.
  可愛い。
  kawaii.

To describe something as “cute” in Japanese, you can use the i-adjective 可愛い (kawaii). Sometimes, 可愛い (kawaii) is written in hiragana, かわいい.

The Japanese word for cute, 可愛い (kawaii) has a much broader meaning and usage compared to the English word. This is predominantly because of the development of Japan’s cute culture.

The cute culture has become increasingly dominant in Japanese popular culture, aesthetics, entertainment and even mannerisms.

The word 可愛い has a much wider range of definitions when put into the dictionary. However, you can use it to describe anything (including objects & people) that you recognise as being anything along the lines of cute, adorable, charming or pretty.

To describe an object:

• この服は超可愛い！
  kono fuku ha chou kawaii!
  These clothes are so cute!

Because 可愛い (kawaii) can mean more than “cute”, using it to compliment somebody can definitely make them happy.

• あなたは本当に可愛いよ。
  anata ha hontouni kawaii yo.
  You are really cute.

When you know the person’s name, it’s almost always better to substitute あなた (anata) or any other Japanese variant of “you” for it. This is because あなた (anata) is typically used between couples.

可愛い (kawaii) Kanji

Honestly, I’ve heard native Japanese speakers call all kinds of things 可愛い (kawaii). Even things I wouldn’t even consider to associate with the word “cute” in English, such as a laptop.

This is mainly because of the many meanings 可愛い (kawaii) has. It can stretch out to mean “pretty” or “lovely”.

What’s more is that when we look at the kanji of 可愛い (kawaii), the literal meaning becomes clearer. The first kanji, 可 means “can” or “passable”. This is followed by 愛, the kanji for “love” and “affection”. This means we can understand the meaning of 可愛い (kawaii) to be “can love”.

Therefore, when there’s an object that you conclude it’s possible to love, you can technically refer to it as 可愛い (kawaii).

The Word For Handsome

• Handsome.
  イケメン。
  ikemen.

The word イケメン (ikemen) is a noun that can be used to refer to a good-looking male. It is a very casual word that’s most commonly used by young people.

It is said that イケメン (ikemen) is derived from two different elements. The former half of イケメン (ikemen) is derived from the verb イケてる (iketeru) which means “cool” or “stylish”. The latter half comes from メンズ (menzu), which is “men” rendered in Japanese phonetics, and 面 (men) meaning “surface”.

イケメン (ikemen) refers to strictly the appearance of a male. When one perceives another to be handsome, イケメン (ikemen) can be used to express it.

• さっきの店員は超イケメンだったね。
  sakki no tenin ha chou ikemen datta ne.
  The store clerk a minute ago was super handsome.

As イケメン (ikemen) is a noun, it can’t be conjugated like 綺麗 (kirei) or 美しい (utsukushii) can. Referring to yourself as an イケメン (ikemen) is also uncommon.

Instead, you could use a more general word like かっこいい (kakkoii).

More ways to Compliment

• Cool/Stylish.
  かっこいい。
  kakkoii.

The easiest way to understand かっこいい (kakkoii) is to interpret it as “cool” in Japanese.

かっこいい (kakkoii) is an i-adjective that is rarely written in its kanji form 格好いい (かっこいい). You can use かっこいい (kakkoii) to describe a person as being “cool” in Japanese. However, it can also mean “handsome”, “attractive” “smooth” or even “dreamy” depending on the context.

For instance, you could describe someone as being handsome:

• 髪型はいいね！ かっこいいよ！
  kami gata ha ii ne! kakkoii yo!
  Your hair is great! It’s cool/handsome!

You can also use かっこいい (kakkoii) to compliment someone on a skill they have:

• アイススケート上手だね！超かっこいい。
  aisu suke-to jouzu da ne! chou kakkoii.
  You’re so good at ice skating! You’re so cool/smooth.

What’s more, is that you can also describe an object as being かっこいい (kakkoii):

• その靴はかっこいいね。
  sono kutsu ha kakkoii ne.
  Those shoes are so cool.

You can also use かっこいい (kakkoii) to describe someone as “dreamy” which I explain in this ultimate guide.

Conjugating かっこいい (kakkoii)

Conjugating かっこいい (kakkoii) can be tricky at first glance. This is because it’s very easy to assume that because it’s an i-adjective you can modify the ending い (i).

For example, when you want to conjugate かっこいい (kakkoii) into the te-form, you might think it’d be かっこいって (kakkoitte) or かっこいくて (kakkoikute). However, both of these are wrong. 

To understand how to properly conjugate かっこいい (kakkoii), it’s important to know its components.

As mentioned, the kanji for かっこいい (kakkoii) is 格好いい (かっこいい). By removing the いい (ii) we are left with 格好 (kakkou), which is an actual word meaning “shape”, “form” of “figure”.

This means that the いい (ii) part of かっこいい (kakkoii) is actually the Japanese for “good”. If you’ve studied Japanese before, you may recall that to conjugate, いい (ii) we have to turn it into 良い (yoi).

Therefore, to conjugate かっこいい (kakkoii), we first have to change it into かっこよい (kakkoyoi). From here we can conjugate it like normal:

• かっこいい – cool.
• かっこよくない – not cool.
• かっこよかった – was cool.
• かっこよくなかった – was not cool.
• かっこよくて – (te-form) cool.

Lovely in Japanese

• Lovely.
  素敵。
  suteki.

When you realise something as being beautiful, wonderful or lovely, you can use 素敵 (suteki) to express it.

素敵 (suteki) can be used to describe pretty much anything as being “lovely”. For example, it can be used to describe the appearance of an object or person. It can also be used to describe a thought, idea, action or experience.

To describe the appearance of someone:

• 彼は素敵な笑顔を見せてくれた。
  kare ha suteki na egao wo misete kureta.
  He showed me a lovely smile.

To describe an object:

• ネクタイは素敵だね！
  neku tai ha suteki da ne!
  That is a lovely necktie!

Or even describe an experience:

• 素敵な旅だったね。
  suteki na tabi datta ne.
  That was a lovely trip.

Similar to 綺麗 (kirei), 素敵 (suteki) is a na-adjective that requires a な (na) to follow it when modifying a noun. For instance, 素敵な笑顔 (suteki na egao) would mean “lovely smile”. They test you on this in the JLPT exams, so it’s handy to remember!

Elegant in Japanese

• Elegant.
  上品。
  jouhin.

When something (or someone) is extraordinarily beautiful, you may wish to refer to it (or them) as elegant. The word for elegant in Japanese is 上品 (jouhin).

You can use the word 上品 (jouhin) to describe anything that you perceive as refined or graceful. 上品 (jouhin) can be used to compliment someone or to describe something.

For instance, you could simply say to someone:

• 上品だね。
  jouhin da ne.
  You’re elegant.

Or, you may wish to describe something:

• その指輪は上品です。
  sono yubiwa ha jouhin desu.
  That ring is elegant (formal speech).

Both the English word elegant, and the Japanese word 上品 (jouhin) refer to something that is of high class or sophisticated. Therefore you can also use 上品 (jouhin) the same way we use the “ly” suffix in English. For example, you may want to say “elegantly”. To say “elegantly” in Japanese, simply attach に (ni) to the end of 上品 (jouhin).

This makes it 上品に (jouhin ni). This enables us to say things such as:

• とても上品に食べるね。
  totemo jouhin ni taberu ne.
  You eat very elegantly, don’t you?

It’s also important to know that 上品 (jouhin) is a na-adjective. This means that上品 (jouhin) has to be followed by な (na) in order to modify the following verb. For instance:

• 上品なお皿を買いたい。
  jouhinn na osara wo kaitai.
  I want to buy an elegant plate.

Gorgeous in Japanese

• Gorgeous.
  豪華。
  gouka.

The best word for gorgeous in Japanese is 豪華 (gouka). The word 豪華 (gouka) can be used as an adjective to describe a noun, or it can be used as a noun itself.

As an adjective, you can use 豪華 (gouka) to describe something as extravagant. For instance:

• そのホテルは豪華だね。
  sono hoteru ha gouka da ne.
  That hotel is gorgeous.

The word “gorgeous” typically has an element of high quality or expensiveness to it. The word 豪華 (gouka) is the same and can imply something as being high class.

• そんな豪華な食事のためにお金足りない。
  sonna gouka na shokuji no tame ni okane tarinai.
  I don’t have enough money for such a luxurious meal.

The kanji for 豪華 (gouka) explains the meaning very well. The first kanji is 豪 which means “great” or “overpowering”. The second kanji, 華 means “splendour”. This means that 豪華 (gouka) literally means “great splendour”. What better way to express gorgeous in Japanese!

Japanese Names That Mean Beautiful

Japanese names consist of a surname, or the family name, followed by the first name. They are written with kanji, however, can also be romanised. Each kanji of a Japanese name will have its own individual meaning that contributes to the overall meaning of the name.

Some names may also sound similar, however, the kanji may be different. This is why you may see Japanese people ask each other “how is your name written” in order to clarify the kanji.

As we’ve covered in this guide, 美しい (utsukushii) is a common, yet strong way to say “beautiful” in Japanese. The kanji for 美しい (utsukushii), 美, can also be used in Japanese names. However, its reading changes to み (mi).  The kanji 美 can then be put together with other kanji for a deeper meaning and complete name.

For example, the Japanese name 愛美 (aimi) consists of two kanji characters. Firstly, 愛, which means “affection” or “love”, followed by 美 (mi) which means beautiful.

List of Japanese Names Meaning “Beautiful”

Here is a list of 10 Japanese names that mean “beautiful” in Japanese:

1. 愛美 (aimi) – 愛 (ai) “love, affection” and 美 (mi) “beautiful”.
2. 明美 (akemi) – 明 (ake) “bright” and 美 (mi) “beautiful”.
3. 絵美 (emi) –  絵 (e) “picture, painting” and 美 (mi)  “beautiful”.
4. 貴美子 (kimiko) – 貴 (ki) “valuable” with 美 (mi) “beautiful”, and 子 (ko) “child”.
5. 真美 (mami) – 真 (ma) “real, true” and 美 (mi) “beautiful”.
6. 美智子 (michiko) – 美 (mi) “beautiful”, with 智 (chi) “wisdom, intellect” and 子 (ko) “child”.
7. 美保 (miho) – 美 (mi) “beautiful” and 保 (ho) “protect”.
8. 美咲 (misaki) – 美 (mi) “beautiful” and 咲 (saki) “blossom”.
9. 美優 (miyu) – 美 (mi)  “beautiful” with 優 (yu) “excellence, gentleness”.
10. 夏美 (natsumi) – 夏 (natsu) “summer” and 美 (mi) “beautiful”.

Beautifying Words in Keigo

There is a concept in Japanese that refers to the beautification of words. This is typically only applied to honorific speech, known as Japanese Keigo.

Japanese Keigo is used during situations when one must show the utmost respect to the other. For instance, a waiter talking with a customer.

When speaking in this honorific speech, it’s common to attach the prefixes ご (go) or お (o) to words to beautify them. By doing this you can increase the amount of politeness felt in your speech.

• お (o) is attached to words with the Japanese kunyomi reading.
• ご (go) is attached to words with the Chinese onyomi reading.

For more information on distinguishing the different readings, I have composed a complete ultimate guide here.

For example, the word for alcohol in Japanese is 酒 (sake). However, you can beautify the word by attaching お (o), making it お酒 (osake). As another example, you can also do the same with the word 花 (hana), meaning flower. Therefore, it becomes お花 (ohana).

By doing this, you add more politeness to your speech.

You can’t do this with every single word though. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Meaning Change During Beautification

There are a few words that have the prefix ご (go) or お (o) already attached to them. The word お腹 (onaka) for example, means stomach. The お (o) prefix here is baked into the word. You cannot beautify it any further.

On the other hand, if you were to take away the お (o) in an attempt to sound more casual, the meaning would change. This means that お腹 (onaka), meaning “stomach” would become 中 (naka), meaning “inside”. Therefore you shouldn’t remove prefixes that are already a part of the word.

In fact, there are some words that have the honorific ご (go) or お (o) prefixes attached to them, even though they’re not polite or respectful.

For example, the word お尻 (oshiri), meaning “butt” in Japanese already has the お (o) prefix attached. This is similar to the word お腹 (onaka), however, there will be some words you’d probably not expect to be already beautified like the word for butt.

Commonly Heard Phrases

There are a few phrases that you may hear in Japan that utilise the beautifying concept.

For instance, you could be at a drive-through for McDonald’s, and you will be asked:

• ご注文お願いいたします。
  go chuumon onegai itashimasu.
  I’d like to request your order, please.

The keyword here is ご注文 (go chuumon), meaning “order” in Japanese.

Another phrase you may hear, or perhaps may even want to use yourself when speaking with a stranger.

• お手伝いしましょうか？
  otetsudaishimashouka?
  Shall I help you?

This phrase stems from the verb 手伝う (tetsudau), meaning “to help” in Japanese. It is the politest way possible to ask someone in Japanese if they need some help.

That Was Beautifully Done!

Sometimes you may wish to encourage someone by expressing how well you think they’ve done at something. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to compliment someone on a job well done in Japanese.

Not done yet? Take a look at the collection of How-To Japanese Ultimate Guides.

Recommended How-To Guides:

Okay in Japanese [Ultumate Guide]

Hope in Japanese [Ultimate Guide]

Good Luck in Japanese [Ultimate Guide]

Soul in Japanese [Ultimate Guide]

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Telling someone “You are beautiful” in Japanese is a bit more tricky than in English because there are a lot of different words that mean “beautiful” or “pretty“. Not only the words but also the phrases you should use are different for women and men. So in this blog post, I explain to you exactly how to say that someone looks pretty in Japanese.

To say “You are beautiful” in Japanese you can use either of the phrases below:

• Simply say: “Kawaii!”, “Kirei!”, or “Kakko ii!”
• To a woman: “Kimi wa kawaii” or “(Name)-chan wa kawaii”
• To a man: “(Name)-kun wa kakko ii”
• “(Name)-san wa kirei” can be used for both
• “Anata wa kirei” to your partner

Below I will give you a detailed explanation of why you should use “kawaii” for girls and women, but “kakko ii” for boys and men. You will also find a lot of example sentences and you are going to learn how to spice up your phrases by saying “You are so beautiful“.

Before we are going to take a detailed look at the best phrases to say “You are beautiful” to each gender, let’s take a brief look at the most commonly used Japanese words for “beautiful” and “pretty”.

How to Say “Beautiful” and “Pretty” in Japanese?

Kawaii (可愛い), kirei (綺麗), kakko ii (カッコいい, 格好いい), and hansamu (ハンサム) are the most frequently used words to say someone is “beautiful” or “pretty” in Japanese. Utsukushii (美しい) is another word that means “beautiful” but it is only used for extremely beautiful or gorgeous people, nature, and things.

1. Kawaii – For Cute and Pretty Girls & Women

Kawaii (可愛い) means “cute“, “adorable“, “charming“, “lovely“, or “pretty“. Foreign women usually don’t like to be called “cute”, but most Japanese women like to be called “kawaii“. So while the word translates as “cute” in English its meaning is closer to “pretty” or “beautiful” and extremely positive.

To tell a girl or woman that they look pretty or cute, just saying “kawaii” is more than enough. However, the full sentences “Kimi wa kawaii” (君は可愛い) or “(Name) wa kawaii” (〇〇は可愛い) are also commonly used. After the person’s name, you can add the cute-sounding honorific chan (ちゃん) or for someone you have just met the polite suffix san (さん).

For boys and men, I personally prefer using other words and phrases. However, generally, it is possible to say something like “Me ga kawaii” (目が可愛い) which means “Your eyes are cute/pretty” or “(Name)-kun wa kawaii” (〇〇くんは可愛い) to a male. Kun (くん) is another Japanese honorific mostly used for boys.

It is also common to add emphasis and say “so pretty” or “Pretty!” by adding one or more sentence ending particles such as na (な), yo (よ), or ne (ね).

2. Kirei – For Beautiful Women and Sometimes Men

The next word on our list is kirei (綺麗, きれい, キレイ) which means “pretty” or “beautiful” but sometimes it is also translated as “clean” or “tidy”. In my opinion, it is the second most frequently used word to describe someone or something as beautiful or pretty. However, it is more commonly used for beautiful women than for beautiful men.

In my opinion, the word “kirei” feels more genuine and meaningful than “kawaii”, but that’s probably just the case because “kawaii” is used for everything and anything. You can hear it all the time in Japan since everything looks “kawaii” and especially women tend to describe everything they see as “kawaii”.

So whenever a Japanese guy says to you “Kirei” or tells you “Kimi wa kirei” (君は綺麗) you should be extremely happy. If you want to say it to a Japanese man I would rather use the next phrase or say something like “(Name + kun or san) no kao ga kirei” (〇〇の顔が綺麗) which means “You have a beautiful face” or “Your face is beautiful“.

“Da yo” (だよ) can also be used to add emphasis to what you are saying. It is often used in combination with “kirei (da yo)” but also other words such as “kawaii (da yo)“. Instead of “da yo” you can also say “da ne” and “da na“.

3. Kakko ii – For Beautiful and Cool Boys & Men

Kakko ii (カッコいい, 格好いい, カッコイイ) means “attractive“, “good-looking“, “cool“, or “stylish” in English and is the most common Japanese word to tell a boy or man “You’re beautiful” or “You look beautiful“. In my opinion, it is the best choice to compliment a good-looking boy or an attractive man.　

In contrast to “kirei” and especially “kawaii”, “kakko ii” sounds more masculine. So instead of “beautiful” or “pretty”, I tend to translate “Kakko ii!” or “(Name + kun or san) wa kakko ii” (〇〇はカッコいい) as “You look cool” or “You’re cool“.

I have also added the example “Anata wa kakko ii” (あなたはカッコいい), but honestly, I do not recommend using this phrase unless you are in a relationship with someone. Anata (貴方, あなた) means “you” just like kimi (君), but while “kimi” is usually only used when talking to a girl or woman, “anata” is gender-neutral and can be used for both genders.

Please note that “anata” is more commonly used by women, though, and usually only to address their husband or boyfriend.

4. Hansamu – For Handsome Boys & Men

If you are a bit familiar with Japanese you may have immediately recognized that hansamu (ハンサム) is an English loan word that means “handsome“. Judging from my own experience here in Japan, it is among the most often used words to describe a man or boy as beautiful together with “kakko ii” and “ikemen”.

Since “hansamu” is a loan word, it doesn’t sound as convincing and meaningful as “kakko ii”. That is actually quite often the case with borrowed words in Japanese. Renai (恋愛), for example, is one of the 11 words for “love” in Japanese but it sounds less romantic than the other words due to its Chinese origin.

That is why I personally prefer to use “kakko ii”. However, I think “hansamu” is a good word if you are a bit shy or if you want to tone it down so that you don’t reveal your secret crush.

5. Utsukushii – Extremely Beautiful or Gorgeous

When I checked other forums, I saw that a lot of people suggested using utsukushii (美しい) to tell someone that they look pretty. While it is true that the word translates as “beautiful” in English, it is only used for extremely beautiful or gorgeous-looking people. Its meaning is closer to “gorgeous“.

On the day of your wedding ceremony, for example, if you tell your bride that she looks “utsukushii“, I think she will accept the compliment and feel very happy. However, in normal everyday situations, the word is a little too much.

“Utsukushii” is actually more frequently used when talking about nature, beautiful landscapes, extremely scenic places, and other exceptionally beautiful objects. So my recommendation is to stick with “kawaii” and “kirei“.

However, if you are dying to use this word I suggest talking about something more specific such as her (or his) beautiful face (kao, 顔), beautiful smile (egao, 笑顔), beautiful lips (kuchibiru, 唇), etc.

6. Bijin, Bishojo, Ikemen, and Bishonen

These four words are so similar that we are going to discuss them together. Bijin (美人) means “beautiful woman” or “pretty woman” and ikemen (イケメン) means “beautiful man” or “pretty man“. The other two words bishoujo (美少女) and bishounen (美少年) mean “beautiful girl” and “beautiful boy” respectively.

“Bijin” and “ikemen” are frequently used in daily life and TV shows to talk about attractive-looking women or as a compliment for handsome-looking men. “Bishoujo” and “bishonen“, on the other hand, I have only encountered in regards to anime, manga, and game genres. But maybe just because I’m not a high-school kid anymore and I don’t hang out with other high-school kids…

I can’t really explain why but I don’t recommend using these words once you are dating someone seriously. Before or on the first date they might still be appropriate, but after that, I would switch to one of the words or phrases above, because they sound more authentic and less flirty, I guess.

How to Say “You Are So Beautiful” in Japanese

“Mecha kawaii” (めちゃ可愛い) and “Sugoku kirei” (すごくきれい, 凄くきれい) are more casual phrases that mean “You are so beautiful” in Japanese. “Hontou ni kirei” (本当にきれい) and “Totemo kirei/kakko ii” (とてもきれい/カッコいい) are more formal phrases that translate as “You are really beautiful” or “You are very beautiful“.

You can also combine mecha (めちゃ) with “kirei” and “kakko ii“, of course, and the same is true for the other words. So “hontou ni kawaii” (本当に可愛い) and “totemo kawaii” (とても可愛い) as well as “sugoku kakko ii” and “hontou ni kakko ii“, etc. are also possible.

The following list contains just a few examples to give you an idea of how you can use mecha (めちゃ), sugoku (凄く, すごく), hontou ni (本当に), and totemo (とても). I have also sneaked in two additional phrases “kawaisugi” and “kakko yosugi” which translate as “too cute” and “too cool” – just because I can.

Beauty is everywhere. You can find beauty in nature, people, and objects, and there is always a deeper meaning to the word beautiful. In Japan, there isn’t just one word that means beautiful. The Japanese language offers dozens of different ways to describe beauty. The Japanese can explain feelings perfectly in ways that other languages simply can’t. Once you learn all the fantastic ways to say ‘beautiful’ in Japanese, you’ll find yourself wishing your native language could express all the nuances of beauty like in Japanese.

Japanese Words And Phrases To Describe Beauty

There are many ‘beautiful’ words in the Japanese language that it’s not as straightforward as using the word ‘beautiful’ to describe everything you see. There are different levels of beauty which could be rated on a scale from one to ten (ten being extremely beautiful.)

As with many languages, the Japanese have many synonyms for beautiful that are used in specific situations, such as pretty, cute, gorgeous, elegant, handsome, and more!

The word beautiful in Japanese and its synonyms are used to describe:

• people
• places
• nature
• experiences
• art
• objects
• animals

So let’s get going!

What Are The Different Ways To Describe Something Beautiful In Japanese?

How To Say Beautiful Or Pretty In Japanese?

If we think of all the different ways to express beauty, it could be helpful to think of an umbrella or a pyramid. At the top of this ‘umbrella,’ we would have the Japanese words for beautiful, “kireina,” “utsukushii,” and all their conjugations and synonyms underneath. In Japanese, these are the two most popular ways to say something or someone is beautiful.

What Does Kireina Mean?

Kireina – 綺麗な (きれいな) / kee-rain-na

Handsome

Kireina means neat, clean, or beautiful. It’s usually used to describe places or things that are beautiful, pretty, clean, or neat. It is used when giving a compliment about places or objects.

How To Use Kireina To Say ‘Beautiful’ In Japanese

Kireina also has many conjugated forms, with the most famous phrase used by Native Japanese speakers being, kirei – 綺麗 (きれい) / ke-ray 

Kirei is used on its own as an exclamation to say, “Beautiful!.” 

For example, if you entered an incredibly decorated room or saw a stunning sunset, you might exclaim, “Kirei!”

Kireina can also be used as a compliment. Let’s look at two examples:

Kyoto is beautiful / Kyoto wa kirei – 京都は綺麗 (きょうとはきれい) / ke-yo-toa-ke-ray

In this example, kireina is conjugated into kirei and is used to compliment the beautiful appearance of a city.

Your home is clean/ Anata no ie wa kireidesu – あなたの家はきれいです

In this example, kirei is used to express the beauty of the home’s cleanliness.

The Japanese word kireina and its various adjective forms are the most popular expressions of beauty. You will often see it and hear it in sentences as it carries many meanings and is used in informal ways.

What Does ‘Utsukushii’ Mean?

utsukushii – 美しい (うつくしい) / yoot-su-koo-she

Utsukushii is a dedicated adjective that means ‘Beautiful’ in Japanese. It is never used to describe cleanliness or tidiness.

Utsukushii is a powerful word to describe beauty. It describes both people and places, focusing on their inner and outer beauty. It’s a more sophisticated word and isn’t thrown around as a figure of speech like ‘kireina’ can be.

How To Use Utsukushii To Say ‘Beautiful’ In Japanese

Here are some example phrases of how ‘utsukushii’ is used to say something is beautiful:

Kyoto is a beautiful place – 京都は美しい場所です (きょうとはうつくしいばしょです) / Kyoto wa utsukushii basho desu

In this description, Kyoto is being wholeheartedly described for its appearance, spirit, and history.

She sang with a very beautiful voice – 彼女はとても美しい声で歌いました / Kanojo wa totemo utsukushī koe de utaimashita 

In this example, utsukushii describes the singer’s voice. However, the use of utsukushii denotes that the woman’s singing was superbly beautiful and spiritually moving.

Be careful with your use of this word. In the Japanese language, you should use utsukushii to describe beauty sparingly. It is vocabulary reserved for special and powerful descriptions. The word carries a lot of weight compared to its English counterpart.

How To Say “You Are Beautiful” To Women In Japanese

What do you say when you see or meet a beautiful woman and want to express their beauty in Japanese? There are many different terms in their language to tell a woman she is beautiful in Japanese. You can use ‘utsukushii’ to inform a woman you think she’s beautiful.

However, you should only say:

You are beautiful – あなたは美しいです / Anata wa utsukushīdesu

You can use this phrase if you genuinely mean it when the other person is incredibly beautiful inside and out, so it strongly affects you. You would only say this to a woman you love.

A better term to use, especially for women, is:

Beautiful person/woman – 美人 / bijin

It is used to describe outward appearance instead of internal beauty and is most commonly used to describe a beautiful woman.

How To Tell A Girl She’s Beautiful In Japanese

Because in Japanese culture, there are class determiners based on age, there is a different way to tell a girl she is beautiful in Japanese. This simple phrase is how to tell a girl she is beautiful:

Beautiful girl – 美少女 / bishojo

How To Tell A Girl She’s Pretty In Japanese

Now you may not want to use beautiful all of the time. So what is the Japanese word for pretty? Kawaii / 可愛い (かわいい) / ka-why 

Kawaii is the language used by the Japanese people to describe people and things that are; cute, pretty, lovely, or charming. If you saw a pretty woman, you might say:

You are pretty – かわいいね / Kawaī ne 

Or you might compliment a woman in Japanese, such as:

Your hair is so pretty – 髪は超綺麗だね (あなたの髪はとてもきれいです) / Anata no kami wa totemo kireidesu 

In this example, ‘kirei’ is used as the adjective meaning pretty.

How To Tell A Girl She’s Cute In Japanese

Maybe you’ve met a woman or a girl you think is adorable. In this instance, you might say:

You are really cute – あなたは本当に可愛いよ /。anata ha hontouni kawaii yo

Kawaii is a very versatile adjective in Japanese and is used for so many things and is interchangeable, meaning cute and pretty.

How To Say “You Are Handsome” To Men In Japanese

In most cultures, men and boys would be taken aback by being called beautiful, pretty, or cute, and it’s the same in Japanese culture. It’s more appropriate to call a man ‘handsome or good-looking,’ rather than beautiful in Japanese.

Thankfully, there are also various ways to describe a handsome man in the Japanese language, and the Japanese word for handsome sounds quite similar to its English counterpart. The most formal adjective for beauty in a male is:

Handsome ハンサム – Hansamu

To tell a man they are handsome in Japan, you would say: You are handsome – あなたはハンサムです /Anata wa hansamudesu 

You would use this term for a man who is beautiful both inside and out and reserve this word for loved ones.

How To Tell A Man Or Boy They’re Cool Or Good-looking In Japanese?

A much more common term is イケメン。ikemen 

, meaning good-looking man. It has become a very casual term used by the younger generations who use it openly to describe people they see or gossip about.

Another phrase used to describe a nice-looking boy would be, Beautiful boy – 美少年 / Bishounen 

which means he’s good-looking.

Finally, a more modern way to describe a handsome man in Japanese is to use this vocabulary, Cool – カッコいい / Kakko ii 

. Kakko ii can mean handsome, attractive, smooth, or cool.

Other Ways To Say Beautiful In Japanese

Gorgeous In Japanese

The word gorgeous in Japanese has different uses meaning it can be both a noun or an adjective depending on the context. As an adjective, gorgeous 豪華 gouka 

is used to describe people, objects, and places. Let’s look at some sentences:

That woman’s hair is gorgeous! – その女性の髪はゴージャスです / Sono josei no kami wa gōjasudesu 

She is gorgeous – 彼女はゴージャスです / Kanojo wa gōjasudesu 

This resort is gorgeous – このリゾートはゴージャスです / Kono rizōto wa gōjasudesu 

How To Say Elegant In Japanese

Elegant – 上品 / jouhin [

is used to describe a person or an object. Here are some phrases to express elegance:

It’s so elegant – 上品だね。/ Jōhinda ne 

That ring is elegant – その指輪は上品です / Sono yubiwa wa jōhindesu 

Saying Lovely In Japanese

Lovely is a term used by the Japanese people to express whether the appearance, an object, or an experience is splendid, wonderful, or beautiful. The Japanese word for lovely is 素敵 suteki

Here are some example sentences showing how to use it:

It was such a lovely trip – 素敵な旅だったね。/ Sutekina tabidatta ne. 

You look lovely! – あなたは素敵に見えます / Anata wa suteki ni miemasu 

What a lovely necklace – なんて素敵なネックレス / Nante sutekina nekkuresu 

How To Say Cute In Japanese

‘Cute’ is probably one of the most used words in the Japanese language. After all, everything is cute 可愛い Kawaii! Japan is obsessed with a ‘cute culture’ where anyone and anything can be cute. Even phones, laptops, and furniture are considered cute in Japan. The term ‘kawaii’ describes everything – people, places, things, and even animals!

The word Kawaii used on its own is often enough to express cuteness. For example, ‘You are cute’ translates to simply ‘Kawaii.’ You can get away with pointing at something or someone and exclaiming, “Kawaii!” and everyone would know what you mean! Of course, you could get more specific with your language choices and say:

Your cat is so cute – あなたの猫はとてもかわいいです / Anata no neko wa totemo kawaīdesu 

You look so cute today – 今日はとてもかわいく見えます / Kyō wa totemo kawaiku miemasu 

Wrapping Up!

So, there we have it! There are plenty of ways to express beauty and say something or someone is beautiful in Japanese. To learn the ins and outs of describing beauty in Japan, wouldn’t it be great to immerse yourself in Japanese culture? Of course, that isn’t necessarily possible.

However, you can learn Japanese from the comfort of your own home. Ling App gives you access to over 60 languages, including Japanese, in the palm of your hand. Check it out and learn more Japanese today!

Team Japanese uses affiliate links. That means that if you purchase something through a link on this site, we may earn a commission (at no extra cost to you).

In Japan, whether you’re sightseeing, trying on a kimono, or shopping for household decor, you’re bound to find something beautiful. 

The most common words for ‘beautiful’ in Japanese are kirei (綺麗 / きれい), and utsukushii (美しい / うつくしい). However, the degree of beauty being described by each word is different. While kirei can be used on anything or anyone that is beautiful, utsukushii goes deeper than surface beauty.

So are there other ways to say ‘beautiful’ in Japanese? Yes! Let’s go through them one by one.

Kirei

きれい

Beautiful, pretty; clean

Kirei (綺麗 / きれい) is a na-adjective that has two meanings: ‘beautiful’ and ‘clean’. Kirei is common in daily speech.

This word typically refers to the physical beauty or cleanliness of a person, object, or place. A beautiful kimono would be kirei na kimono (きれいな着物 / きれいなきもの), and a tidy room would be kirei na heya (きれいな部屋 / きれいなへや).

Examples:

Kirei na hana wo arigatou!
きれいな花をありがとう！
きれいな はな を ありがとう！
Thank you for the beautiful flowers!

Daidokoro wo kirei ni shimashita.
台所をきれいにしました。
だいどころ を きれい に しました。
I cleaned the kitchen.

As observed in the examples, kirei conjugates by adding na (な) after the adjective and before the noun being described. To say ‘is not’, simply add janai (じゃない) or de wa nai (ではない) instead.

Its kanji is difficult to write, so it is usually written in hiragana or katakana (きれい / キレイ), but print media like newspapers sometimes use the full kanji.

Utsukushii

美しい

Beautiful, lovely, pure

Compared to kirei, utsukushii (美しい / うつくしい) only means one thing, ‘beautiful’. It can describe something lovely or pure, whether it is a person, object, place, or abstract idea. 

However, it is more common in written rather than spoken Japanese. When conversing with others, saying ‘beautiful view’ as utsukushii keshiki (美しい景色 / うつくしけしき) sounds a bit unnatural compared to kirei na keshiki (きれいな景色 / きれいなけしき).

Utsukushii is reserved for describing things that move the heart. In other words, something that is beautiful inside and out. It has a nuance of ‘truly’ beautiful, so if you use this to describe a person, it is a very high compliment for them. Normally, people just use kirei or kawaii in situations like dating instead.

Example:

Kanojo wa utsukushii chou chou no you ni odorimashita.
彼女は美しい蝶々のように踊りました。
かのじょ は うつくしい ちょうちょう の よう に おどりました。
She danced like a beautiful butterfly.

Mori ga zenshou shita kara, kotoshi no aki wa utsukushikunakatta.
森が全焼したから、今年の秋は美しくなかった。
もり が ぜんしょうした から、 ことし の あき は うつくしくなかった。
This year’s fall was not beautiful because the forest was completely burned down.

The word utsukushii is an i-adjective, so it conjugates differently than a na-adjective. The basic conjugation for affirmative is utsukushii (美しい). For the negative, drop the last i and add kunai (美しくない), e.g. utsukushi kunai.

Kawaii

可愛い

Cute, lovely

Kawaii (可愛い / かわいい) is often translated to ‘cute’, but it also means ‘lovely’ or ‘pretty’! It has a broad set of definitions, which makes kawaii appropriate for casual conversations.

You can use kawaii to compliment your friends or on the first date with someone special. Sometimes, kirei or utsukushii may come off strong for the other person, so when you are unsure, kawaii is a nice and safe compliment.

Japanese find a lot of things kawaii – actions, little trinkets, fashion styles, and even words!

Kakkoii

かっこいい

Cool, attractive

When your friend shows up sporting fashionable sunglasses, you can use kakkoii (かっこいい / カッコイイ) to compliment them! Kakkoii is typically translated as ‘cool’, but also has a broad set of definitions like ‘stylish’, ‘attractive’, or ‘good-looking’.

Kakkoii is usually written in either hiragana or katakana. You can use this to describe a handsome person, objects, physical features, or even one’s skills. Compared to most words in this list, kakkoii has a more masculine nuance, but it doesn’t mean you cannot use it for females!

Bijin

美人

Beautiful person

The word bijin (美人びじん) is a noun used to refer to a beautiful person, often a woman. Unlike utsukushii, bijin talks about the physical appearance of a person rather than their character.

Similar words that describe beautiful people are bijo and ikemen.

Bijo (美女びじょ) literally means ‘beautiful woman’. Meanwhile, ikemen (イケメン) means ‘good-looking guy’. It is derived from the word iketeru (イケてる) which means ‘cool’ or ‘sexy’ and men (面 / メン), which means ‘face’ or ‘features’.

Other words like bishoujo (美少女 / びしょうじょ) and bishounen (美少年 / びしょうねん), which mean ‘beautiful woman’ and ‘beautiful man’, respectively, are prominent in pop culture. Lead characters in anime and manga are typically categorized as such.

Suteki

素敵

Lovely, cool

The na-adjective suteki (素敵 / すてき) is also defined broadly. It means ‘lovely’, ‘wonderful’, or ‘cool’, and can be used to describe people, places, things, or experiences. 

It can be similar to kakkoii, but unlike so, suteki can describe something as ‘lovely’ where kakkoii cannot. For example, you can say suteki na hito (素敵な人 / すてきなひと) because you admire somebody’s character.

Suteki is not limited to describing physical features. It also applies to the ‘inside’ loveliness of something.  You can describe an experience like traveling abroad as suteki because you had a splendid time.

Kanpeki

完璧

Perfect, flawless

To describe something as ‘flawless’ or ‘perfect’, we have the adjective kanpeki (完璧 / かんぺき). This word can apply to people, objects, places, and performances.

For example, if someone pulls off a flawless performance of ‘Clair De Lune’, you can say ‘Kanpeki na piano ensou desu ne!’ (完璧なピアノ演奏ですね!), or ‘What a beautiful piano performance!’

Subarashii

素晴らしい

Wonderful, splendid

The word subarashii (素晴らしい / すばらしい) means ‘wonderful’ or ‘splendid’. In the same sense as utsukushii, it can describe something that is deeply moving or fascinating. Subarashii can also be used for anything you find wonderful.

You might have heard the Japanese New Year’s phrase subarashii ichinen wo (素晴らしい一年を)! It translates to ‘I hope you have a great year!”

Jouhin

上品

Elegant, refined

Jouhin (上品 / じょうひん) is another na-adjective that means ‘elegant’ or ‘sophisticated’. You might not hear this too often, unless you have a pretty luxurious lifestyle.

You can use jouhin  to describe objects, places, somebody’s way of living, or even taste of certain food. What makes this word stand out is that jouhin is reserved for things that are of high-class quality, such as luxury items or posh places. Unlike kirei or kawaii, jouhin denotes some classiness to it. 

A similar word is gouka (豪華 / ごうか), which means ‘extravagant’ or ‘lavish’, used to describe things that are on a higher level of fancy!

How to say beautiful in Japanese

Just how in English, we have many synonyms for beautiful (gorgeous, pretty, stunning, etc), there are many different Japanese words for beautiful! Choosing the best word for the situation will help you sound more fluent.

Now that you know the many ways to say ‘beautiful’ in Japanese, check out these beautiful, untranslatable Japanese words that are sure to move your heart!

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Thea Ongchua

Thea is a freelance content writer, currently majoring in Japanese studies. She likes to create art and draws inspiration from film and music. Thea was inspired to study Japanese language and culture by reading the literary works of Haruki Murakami and Edogawa Ranpo.

In Japanese, ‘beautiful’ is “きれいKirei”. When you want to tell someone “you are beautiful”, you can say “Anata wa Kirei desu”, or “Anata wa totemo Kirei” to mean ‘you are very beautiful’.

How do you say “you are beautiful”?

Please note that “あなたAnata” is a little tricky word in Japanese. It literally means “you”, but it doesn’t sound friendly, or even you might sound bossy when you say “Anata” to somebody.

I recommend just to say “(someone’s name) wa Kirei”. Even if she or he is in front of you, we don’t really use the word “Anata” in casual conversations.

“Kirei” is usually used for women. If you are talking about a man, you can say, “Totemo kakko-ii (very cool) !”

Most Japanese women also like to be told: “かわいいkawaii (meaning ‘cute’)”. “Kawaii” has different meanings, like ‘nice’, ‘little(small)’, ‘good’, but most of the time, it sounds positive. If you say to a Japanese lady “kawaii (you are cute)”, I am sure that she will be happy.

Japanese women like to use this word “Kawaii”. It is sometimes even overused. When they say “Kawaii!”, she may just mean “I like it!”. You can use this term to admire almost everything, such as cars, cosmetics, people, animals.

What is the difference between ‘きれいKirei’ and ‘かわいいKawaii’?

‘きれいKirei’ and ‘かわいいKawaii’ both are adjectives. ‘Kirei’ means ‘beautiful’ or ‘good-looking’, ‘Kawaii’ means ‘cute’ or ‘nice’. ‘Kirei’ is more likely used for women rather than men, it also is used to describe scenery, images (pictures, photos), movements of performances, music.

‘Kawaii’ is not only used for a wide variety of things such as people, clothes, cosmetics, cars, houses, animals, flowers, but you can also say it to describe abstract things; attitudes, expressions, ideas, or an invisible thing like voice.

I said that both ‘Kirei’ and ‘Kawaii’ are adjectives. However, we have two different types of adjectives in Japanese, and they are not the same ones. There is some more information about grammar at the end of this article.

Can we use it for my girlfriend?

When you are with your beautiful Japanese girlfriend, you can use both ‘Kirei’ and ‘Kawaii’. ‘Kirei’ is used to admire her appearances; her face, body, skin, hands, eyes or clothes. You can say ‘Kawaii’ for a wider range of things, not only for her appearance but also for her voice, attitude, ideas, expressions, clothes, make-up, hairstyle, and so.

Although ‘Kirei’ often is translated into ‘beautiful’ in English, the meaning of beautiful in English is more comprehensive than ‘Kirei’ in Japanese. For example, when some people say ‘the food was beautiful in that restaurant’, they may be meaning that the food was delicious more than that the food was good-looking. ‘Kirei’ in Japanese doesn’t have the meaning of delicious.

In English, you can also say ‘life is beautiful’, but we don’t say ‘life is Kirei’ in this case either. Sometimes people say ‘life is Utsukushi-i’, using another Japanese word which means beautiful as well, but they are in a poetic mood.

A tiny piece of grammar:

In Japanese, there are ‘i-adjective’ and ‘na-adjective’. I-adjectives always end with ‘い i’ sound, though there are a couple of exceptions: for example, ‘きれい Kirei (beautiful), and ‘きらい Kirai (dislike)’ are na-adjectives, though they end with ‘い i’.

‘Kirei’ and ‘Kawai-i’ both finish with the letter ‘い i’, but ‘Kirei’ is a na-adjective, and ‘Kawai-i’ is an i-adjective. The conjugation for two of them are below;

[Na-adjective] Conjugation for ‘きれい Kirei’ in plain style (a casual way):

きれい kirei (positive)
きれいじゃない kirei -janai (negative)
きれいだった kirei -datta (positive, past-tense)
きれいじゃなかった kirei -janakatta (negative, past-tense)

[I-adjective] Conjugation for ‘かわいい Kawai-i’ in plain style (a casual way):

かわい kawai-i (positive)
かわいくない kawai-kunai (negative)
かわいかった kawai-katta (positive, past-tense)
かわいくなかった kawai-kunakatta (negative, past-tense)