How to say “beautiful” in Japanese
In the Japanese language, we have the two major options: “kireina” and “utsukushii”. Both are used to say “beautiful” in Japanese, but not the same. In this blog post, therefore, I will explain them through example sentences. And also, I will explain how they are different. Let’s get started!Contents
- Definition and meanings of “kireina”
- Example #1: how to say “beautiful” in Japanese with “kireina”
- Example #2: how to use “kireina” as a complement
- Definition and meaning of “utsukushii”
- Example #3: how to say “beautiful” in Japanese with “utsukushii”
- Example #4: how to use “utsukushii” as a complement
- Summary: Kireina vs Utsukushii
Definition and meanings of “kireina”
First of all, let me start with the definition and meanings of “kireina”.- kireina – 綺麗な (きれいな) : a na-adjective meaning ‘beautiful’, ‘clean’, or ‘neat’ in Japanese.
Then, let me explain how to use this na-adjective through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “beautiful” in Japanese with “kireina”
kyoto wa kireina basho desu – 京都は綺麗な場所です (きょうとはきれいなばしょです)
Kyoto is a beautiful place.
Kyoto is a beautiful place.
- kyoto – 京都 (きょうと) : a name of one of the most famous Japanese cities. It is used as a noun in the example sentence.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, it is put after the noun, “Kyoto”, to make the subject word in the sentence.
- basho – 場所 (ばしょ) : a noun meaning ‘place’ in Japanese. It can also be used as a plural noun meaning ‘places’. Learn more about Japanese plural. In the example, it is described by the preceding adjective, “kireina”. The formed noun phrase, “kireina basho”, means ‘beautiful place’.
- desu – です : an auxiliary verb put after a noun, adjective, or phrase to make it polite. Probably, it is well known for a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, it is put after the noun phrase to make it sound polite.
When “kireina” is used at a position of complement, it needs to be conjugated as follows.
Example #2: how to use “kireina” as a complement
kyoto wa kirei desu – 京都は綺麗です (きょうとはきれいです)
Kyoto is beautiful.
Kyoto is beautiful.
- kirei – 綺麗 (きれい) : one conjugation of the na-adjective, “kireina”. In this example, it has been conjugated for a better connection with its following word.
kyoto wa kirei – 京都は綺麗 (きょうとはきれい)
Kyoto is beautiful.
Kyoto is beautiful.
As I mentioned above, “kirei” can also be used like an interjection, namely, used alone to say “beautiful!” in Japanese. When we get impressed with the beauty of Kyoto, we can use “kirei” as follows.
kirei – 綺麗 (きれい)
Beautiful!
Beautiful!
So far, I’ve explained “kireina” and how to use it. However, please recall the fact that it has multiple meanings. It can mean ‘beautiful’, ‘clean’, or ‘neat’ depending on the situation and context. So, the example sentences explained above can be translated into English as “Kyoto is clean” or “Kyoto is neat” as well. “Kireina” is not a dedicated word for ‘beautiful’ in Japanese. This is one of the differences between “kireina” and “utsukushii”.
Next, then, let me explain the other option: “utsukushii”.
Definition and meaning of “utsukushii”
Below are the definition and meaning of “utsukushii”.- utsukushii – 美しい (うつくしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘beautiful’ in Japanese.
In addition, “utsukushii” is more like a dedicated word for ‘beautiful’. It is not suitable for ‘clean’, ‘neat’, or some such. So, situations where “utsukushii” is used are different from those where “kireina” is used.
Then, let me explain how to use “utsukuhii” through the example sentences below.
Example #3: how to say “beautiful” in Japanese with “utsukushii”
kyoto wa utsukushii basho desu – 京都は美しい場所です (きょうとはうつくしいばしょです)
Kyoto is a beautiful place.
Kyoto is a beautiful place.
Like “kireina”, “utsukushii” can also be used at a position of complement.
Example #4: how to use “utsukushii” as a complement
kyoto wa utsukushii – 京都は美しい (きょうとはうつくしい)
Kyoto is beautiful.
Kyoto is beautiful.
For the reason I’ve explained above, this sentence gives us a bit more sophisticated impression than the one with “kireina” does. Perhaps, it could sound a bit cheesy depending on the situation. In most situations, therefore, “Kyoto wa kirei”, would be better and sound more natural.
Summary: Kireina vs Utsukushii
In this blog post, I’ve explained both “kireina” and “utsukushii”. Here, let me summarize their differences as follows.- Their grammatical definitions are different. “Kireina” is a na-adjective while “utsukushii” is an i-adjective.
- “Kireina” has multiple meanings while “utsukushii” is more like a dedicated word for ‘beautiful’.
- “Kireina” focuses more on the beauty of appearance while “utsukushii” can describe both appearance and inside.
- “Kirei” can be used like an interjection to say “beautiful!” while “utsukushii” is rarely used for this purpose.
- “Kireina” needs to be conjugated to be placed at a position of complement while “utsukushii” doesn’t.
- “Utsukushii” could sound a bit cheesy depending on the situation.
- kireina – 綺麗な (きれいな) : a na-adjective meaning ‘beautiful’, ‘clean’, or ‘neat’ in Japanese.
- utsukushii – 美しい (うつくしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘beautiful’ in Japanese.
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