柔らかい
やわらかい
hepburn yawarakai
soft, tender
Part of speech · i-adjective
Pattern visualization
no decomposition available
Examples
- 柔らかいパンが好きです。I like soft bread.
- 柔らかい声で話します。I speak in a soft voice.
Collocations
柔らかい (yawarakai, soft / tender — i-adj)柔らかな (yawaraka na — na-adj variant)固い / 硬い (katai, hard — opposite)柔軟 (juunan, flexible — na-adj)柔道 (juudou, judo — "soft way")
Mnemonic
柔らかい yawarakai — i-adjective spanning texture, sound, and character. 柔らかいパン (soft bread), 柔らかい声 (gentle voice), 柔らかい態度 (soft attitude). Onyomi じゅう (juu): 柔軟 (juunan, flexible), 柔道 (juudou, "the soft way" = judo). Kano Jigoro's 1882 judo carries the same kanji as a philosophical name — "win by yielding, not by force". One adjective spans food, voice, attitude, and martial-arts philosophy. Paired with 固い / 硬い (katai, hard).
Quick check
Kanji breakdown of 柔道?