Short answer
“cute” in Japanese is かわいい
How to say cute in Japanese?
How to say cute in Japanese? The standard word is かわいい (kawaii). This i-adjective works for people, animals, clothes, food and almost anything you find adorable. The kanji form 可愛い also appears often in writing, and casual speakers add 超 (chō) or めっちゃ (meccha) in front to say "super cute". An old-fashioned or playful variant, かわゆい, exists too, but かわいい works in all situations. In Japanese, かわいい expresses warmth and affection, so it is natural for children and pets; for praising an adult's appearance, きれい (kirei) or かっこいい (kakkoii) can sound more mature.
Common pairings
かわいい犬 (かわいいいぬ)かわいい子供 (かわいいこども)かわいい声 (かわいいこえ)かわいい服 (かわいいふく)かわいい笑顔 (かわいいえがお)
How to use it
- Use かわいい for babies, pets, objects, clothes and food. It is the default, positive adjective and sounds warm and affectionate; add です in polite speech.
- To say "very cute" in polite speech, use とてもかわいい (totemo kawaii). In casual speech, 超かわいい (chō kawaii) and めっちゃかわいい (meccha kawaii) are common.
- For adults, especially men, かわいい can sound childish or teasing. きれい (kirei, pretty) or かっこいい (kakkoii, cool/handsome) are usually better choices.
Examples
この子犬は本当にかわいいです。
This puppy is really cute.
子犬 (こいぬ, koinu) = puppy. 本当に (ほんとうに, hontō ni) = really. Use かわいい as the predicate with です for polite speech.
可愛い猫ですね。
What a cute cat.
可愛い is the kanji spelling of かわいい, read the same. ですね adds a soft, shared feeling.
超かわいい！それどこで買ったの？
Super cute! Where did you buy it?
超 (chō) is a casual intensifier meaning "super". Use this with friends or in relaxed conversation.
めっちゃかわいい人を見た。
I saw a really cute person.
めっちゃ (meccha) is a very common spoken intensifier meaning "really" or "super". It is casual, not formal.
この服、かわゆいね。
This outfit is adorable, isn't it?
かわゆい is an old-fashioned or playful variant of かわいい. It gives a soft, retro or cute mood.
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| かわい |
かわいい猫！ | かわいそう means "pitiful" or "poor thing", not "cute". They sound similar, so check the ending: かわいい = cute, かわいそう = poor. |
| この犬はかわいい |
この犬はかわいい。 | い-adjectives do not take だ in the present affirmative. For polite speech, say この犬はかわいいです. |
| Unnatural | Natural | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 彼はか |
彼はかっこいいです。 | For an adult man, かわいい can sound odd or like teasing. かっこいい means "cool" or "handsome" and is more natural. |
FAQ
- How to say cute in Japanese?The standard way is かわいい (kawaii). It is an i-adjective used for people, animals, objects, clothes and food. The kanji form is 可愛い, read the same way.
- Is kawaii only for cute children and animals?No. You can use かわいい for clothes, bags, food, voices, gestures and many other things. But for an adult person, きれい or かっこいい often sounds more natural and respectful.
- What is the difference between かわいい and きれい?かわいい means cute or adorable and gives a warm, affectionate feeling. きれい means pretty, clean or beautiful and sounds more mature and polished.
- Can you use かわいい for men?Yes, for boys or cute male characters. For an adult man, かっこいい (cool/handsome) is usually better. Calling an adult man かわいい can sound like teasing.