What is the Kanji for "Soft" and "Gentle"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Soft" and "Gentle", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Soft" and "Gentle" is "柔".

This kanji has 3 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Yawa".

Its onyomi readings are "Juu" and "Nyuu".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The kanji "木" means "Tree" and "Wood" and can be read as "Boku", "Ki", "Moku", and "Ko". And The kanji "矛" means "Halberd", "Lance", and "Spear" and can be read as "Mu" and "Hoko".

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

What does the kanji "柔" mean in japanese?

"柔" means "Soft" and "Gentle".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Junior Highschool, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N2 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

柔道: "Judo". 柔道 (じゅうどう)' refers to the Japanese martial art of judo, which involves grappling and throwing techniques. Judo emphasizes the efficient use of balance and leverage to throw an opponent to the ground. It is known for its focus on utilizing an opponent's force against them rather than brute strength. Judo is practiced both as a sport and a method of self-defense. Examples: He practices judo - (彼は柔道を練習する). Judo is a Japanese martial art - (柔道は日本の武道である).

柔らか: "Soft". The adjectival noun '柔らか (やわらか)' means 'soft'. It is used to describe something that is pliant, flexible, or pliable. This can refer to physical objects like fabric, but also more abstract concepts like character or mood. For example: The pillow is soft - (そのまくらは柔らかい). She has a soft heart - (彼女は柔らかい心を持っている).

柔軟: "Flexible". The Japanese adjective '柔軟 (じゅうなん)' means 'flexible'. This adjective describes something that can bend or move easily without breaking. It is often used to refer to physical objects, but can also describe abstract concepts like mindsets or attitudes. For example: The athlete is very flexible - (その選手はとても柔軟だ). My schedule is flexible - (私のスケジュールは柔軟だ).

柔らかい: "Soft". The Japanese adjective '柔らかい (やわらかい)' means 'soft'. This adjective describes something that has a gentle, pliable, or supple texture. It can be used to describe materials, fabrics, foods, and even human feelings or behaviors. For example: The pillow is soft - (このまくらは柔らかい). Her voice is soft - (彼女の声は柔らかい).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

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 "じ" is read as "ji". The hiragana "う" is read as "u". The hiragana "に" is read as "ni". The hiragana "や" is read as "ya". And The hiragana "わ" is read as "wa".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.