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How to say 'Polite' in Japanese | 丁寧

Wondering how to say 'Polite' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Polite is 'Teinei', written as 丁寧 in Japanese.'Polite' in hiragana is ていねい.

    word

    丁寧

    Meaning

    Polite

    Reading

    ていねい

    teinei

    Kanji

    Street Rather, Courteous

    Explanation

    The Japanese adjectival noun '丁寧 (ていねい)' primarily means 'polite' or 'courteous'. It is used to describe actions, speech, or behavior that is considerate, respectful, and carefully executed. This word can also imply thoroughness or meticulousness in how something is done. For example: She speaks politely「彼女は丁寧に話します」(かのじょはていねいにはなします). He wrote a polite letter「彼は丁寧な手紙を書いた」(かれはていねいなてがみをかいた). The teacher explained the lesson carefully「先生は丁寧に授業を説明した」(せんせいはていねいにじゅぎょうをせつめいした). Note that '丁寧' can also describe something done with great care or attention to detail, such as '丁寧な仕事 (ていねいなしごと)' (careful work).

    Part Of Speech

    adjectival noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N1

    Kanji Grade

    9

    Frequency

    3083

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 丁寧

This word contains 2 kanji characters:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Street

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Rather, Courteous

Words Related to 丁寧 Through the Kanji

These 4 Words contain the Kanji 丁 as well.

  • word

    丁度

    Meaning

    Exactly

  • word

    丁目

    Meaning

    District

  • word

    Meaning

    Block

  • word

    包丁

    Meaning

    Knife

Words Related to 丁寧 Through the Kanji

This Word contains the Kanji 寧 as well.

  • word

    寧ろ

    Meaning

    Rather

Learn the Word 丁寧

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What does 'Teinei' (丁寧) mean?

'Teinei' means 'Polite' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.