How to say 'Sweet' or 'Lenient' in Japanese | 甘い

word

Meaning

Sweet, Lenient

Reading

Kanji

甘Sweet

Explanation

The Japanese adjective '甘い (あまい)' primarily means 'sweet', referring to taste, but it can also mean 'lenient' or 'indulgent' when describing behavior or judgment. For example: this cake is sweet「このケーキは甘い」(このケーキはあまい). He is too lenient with his students「彼は生徒に甘い」(かれはせいとにあまい). The word can also imply naivety or being overly optimistic, as in '甘い考え (あまいかんがえ) (naive thinking)'. It's important to note that the context determines which meaning is intended.

Part Of Speech

adjective

Kanji JLPT

N2

Kanji Grade

7

Frequency

379

Composition

kanji-hiragana

Handwriting