How to say "Astringent" or "Subdued" in Japanese | 渋い

If you are wondering what's the Japanese word for "Astringent" or "Subdued" you've come to the right place!

the Japanese word for "Astringent" or "Subdued" is "Shibui", written in japanese as "渋い".

Here's a more detailed explanation:

The Japanese adjective '渋い (しぶい)' has two primary meanings. The first meaning is 'astringent', referring to a taste or sensation that is dry, bitter, or puckering, often used to describe foods like unripe persimmons or strong tea. For example: This persimmon is astringent「この柿は渋い」(このかきはしぶい). The second meaning is 'subdued', describing something that is understated, refined, or muted in appearance, taste, or style. This can refer to colors, designs, or even personalities. For example: His taste in fashion is subdued「彼のファッションセンスは渋い」(かれのファッションセンスはしぶい). The word can also imply a sense of sophistication or maturity, often used to describe someone who is reserved but has depth. For example: His humor is subtle and subdued「彼のユーモアは渋い」(かれのユーモアはしぶい).

The Kanji are characters that represent meanings. As you can see, this word is made up of 1 Kanji:

The kanji "渋" means "Astringent" and "Not going smoothly" and can be read as "Juu" and "Shibu"

Now, let's make sure you understand this word the other way around too.

What does "Shibui" mean in japanese?

"Shibui" means "Astringent" or "Subdued" .

To learn more about the kanji in this word, checkout this pages:

To make really sure you learn this word, We've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this word and of the characters that comprise it.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "い" is read as "i". The hiragana "じ" is read as "ji". The hiragana "う" is read as "u". The hiragana "し" is read as "shi". And The hiragana "ぶ" is read as "bu".

About kanji, you need to know that most Kanji have two types of readings: Kunyomi, based on native japanese pronunciation. And onyomi, based on chinese pronunciation.