Describing how things look is one of the most common tasks in daily conversation: complimenting someone's appearance, talking about size, commenting on food. But Japanese appearance adjectives are more finely divided than their English equivalents, and some come with grammar traps. Let's sort them out.
Beauty: 美しい vs きれい vs かわいい vs かっこいい vs すてき
美しい (utsukushii) — Beautiful (Literary / Elevated)
美しい carries a sense of distance and reverence. It's used for majestic scenery, elegant art, or breathtaking beauty — the tone is literary and poetic.
富士山の景色はとても美しい。 → The scenery of Mt. Fuji is truly beautiful.
美しいメロディーに感動した。 → I was moved by the beautiful melody.
きれい — Pretty / Clean (Everyday)
きれい is the most commonly used word for "pretty" or "good-looking" in daily life. Important note: きれい ends in い but it's a な-adjective — you must add な before nouns.
きれいな花ですね。 → What pretty flowers!
部屋をきれいにしてください。 → Please clean up the room.
きれい also means "clean/tidy" — a meaning that 美しい does not have.
美しい vs きれい Comparison
| 美しい | きれい | |
|---|---|---|
| Register | Literary / formal | Everyday / casual |
| Feel | Grand, respectful distance | Friendly, approachable |
| "Clean" meaning | No | Yes (きれいな部屋) |
| Word type | い-adjective | な-adjective (watch out!) |
In daily conversation, just use きれい to say someone or something looks nice. Save 美しい for writing or describing grand scenery.
かわいい vs かっこいい vs すてき
| Word | Meaning | Common Targets |
|---|---|---|
| かわいい | Cute | Children, animals, small things, women |
| かっこいい | Cool, handsome | Men, actions, designs |
| すてき | Lovely, wonderful | People, outfits, ideas (softer tone, used more by women) |
この猫、かわいい！ → This cat is so cute!
あの人、かっこいいね。 → That person is so cool.
すてきなアイデアですね。 → What a wonderful idea!
すてき is a な-adjective — add な before nouns. Both men and women can use it, but it's more frequently used by women.
Size: 大きい vs 大きな / 小さい vs 小さな
This pair is a classic grammar test question.
大きい vs 大きな
大きい is a standard い-adjective. It can be a predicate and can modify nouns:
この犬は大きい。 → This dog is big. (Predicate)
大きい犬がいる。 → There's a big dog. (Modifying a noun)
大きな is a 連体詞 (rentaishi / prenominal adjective) — it can ONLY go before a noun. It cannot be a predicate:
大きな犬がいる。 → There's a big dog. (Modifying a noun — OK)
この犬は大きなだ→ You cannot say this!
Is There a Difference Between 大きい and 大きな?
When modifying nouns, they're mostly interchangeable. But 大きな carries a slightly more subjective or abstract nuance:
| 大きい | 大きな | |
|---|---|---|
| Word type | い-adjective | 連体詞 (prenominal) |
| As predicate | Yes | No |
| Before nouns | Yes | Yes |
| Nuance | Objective description | Slightly emotional / abstract |
大きい問題がある。 → There's a big problem. (Objective statement)
大きな夢を持とう。 → Let's hold onto big dreams. (Emotional coloring)
小さい vs 小さな follows the exact same pattern: 小さな is a 連体詞 that can only modify nouns.
小さな幸せを大切にする。 → Cherish the small happinesses in life.
Note: おかしい vs おかしな Works the Same Way
おかしい is an い-adjective (strange), while おかしな is a 連体詞 (weird/odd) that can only modify nouns:
おかしな話だね。 → What a strange story.
Fat and Thin: 太い vs 細い vs 太った
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 太い | ふとい | Thick | Lines, pipes, legs |
| 細い | ほそい | Thin, slender | Lines, slim figures |
| 太った | ふとった | Fat | Past tense of a verb used as adjective! |
| 痩せた | やせた | Thin/skinny | Past tense of a verb used as adjective! |
この線は太いです。 → This line is thick.
細い道を歩いた。 → I walked down a narrow path.
Important: To say someone is "fat," don't use 太い (that means "thick"). Use 太った (past tense of 太る):
太った猫がいる。 → There's a fat cat.
太い猫→ This sounds like "a thick/stocky cat" — very unnatural.
New and Old: 新しい vs 新たな / 古い vs 若い
新しい vs 新たな
| 新しい | 新たな | |
|---|---|---|
| Word type | い-adjective | な-adjective (literary) |
| Meaning | New (concrete things) | Fresh, brand-new (abstract / formal) |
| Example | 新しい靴 → new shoes | 新たな挑戦 → a fresh challenge |
新しい携帯を買った。 → I bought a new phone.
新たな気持ちで頑張ります。 → I'll work hard with a fresh mindset.
How to Say "Old"
Japanese makes a clear distinction:
| Target | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Old things | 古い (furui) | 古い建物 → old building |
| Young people | 若い (wakai) | 若い人 → young person |
| Elderly people | 年を取った | 年を取った人 → elderly person |
この寺は古い。 → This temple is old.
祖父は年を取ったけど、元気です。 → My grandfather is old but healthy.
Never use 古い to describe people — 「古い人」 doesn't mean "old person," it means "someone with outdated thinking"!
Tasty and Skillful: うまい vs 上手 vs おいしい
うまい is a versatile word meaning both "delicious" and "skillful":
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| おいしい | おいしい | Delicious | Neutral, polite |
| うまい | うまい | Delicious / skillful | Casual, more masculine |
| 上手 | じょうず | Skillful | Neutral, polite |
このラーメン、おいしい！ → This ramen is delicious! (Neutral)
このラーメン、うまい！ → This ramen is great! (Casual)
彼は料理が上手です。 → He's good at cooking. (Polite)
彼は料理がうまい。 → He's a great cook. (Casual)
Touch and Texture: やわらかい vs 硬い / ふわふわ vs ざらざら
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Common Pairings |
|---|---|---|---|
| やわらかい | やわらかい | Soft | Cloth, meat, attitude |
| 硬い | かたい | Hard, stiff | Stone, expression, personality |
| 柔軟 | じゅうなん | Flexible | Thinking, gymnastics (formal) |
| なめらか | なめらか | Smooth | Skin, cream |
| ざらざら | ざらざら | Rough | Sandpaper, dry skin |
| ふわふわ | ふわふわ | Fluffy, soft | Bread, clouds, towels |
このパン、ふわふわでおいしい！ → This bread is fluffy and delicious!
手がざらざらしている。 → My hands feel rough.
なめらか is a な-adjective. ざらざら and ふわふわ are mimetic words (used with する/した/な).
Grammar Reminder: い-Adjective vs な-Adjective vs 連体詞
| Type | Before Nouns | As Predicate | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| い-adjective | Directly + noun | Yes | 大きい犬 / 犬は大きい |
| な-adjective | ～な + noun | ～だ/です | きれいな花 / 花はきれいだ |
| 連体詞 | Directly + noun | No | 大きな犬 / |
な-adjectives that look like い-adjectives (common traps): きれい, きらい (嫌い), 有名.
Summary
- 美しい (literary beauty) vs きれい (everyday pretty + clean) — きれい is a な-adjective!
- かわいい (cute) vs かっこいい (cool/handsome) vs すてき (lovely/wonderful)
- 大きい (い-adjective) vs 大きな (連体詞, noun modifier only) — same for 小さい/小さな
- 太い (thick) does NOT mean "fat" — use 太った for people
- 新しい (new, everyday) vs 新たな (fresh, formal/abstract)
- 古い is for things only — for elderly people, use 年を取った
- うまい means both "delicious" and "skillful" — casual register
Practice Quiz
Q1. Make two sentences with きれい using its two different meanings ("pretty" and "clean").
Show Answer
- きれいな夜景ですね。 → What a beautiful night view! (Pretty)
- 手をきれいに洗ってください。 → Please wash your hands clean. (Clean)
きれい is a な-adjective: add な before nouns, change to に when modifying verbs (adverb form).
Q2. Which sentence is correct?
- A: この犬は大きなだ。
- B: 大きな夢を持ちたい。
Show Answer
B is correct.
大きな is a 連体詞 (prenominal adjective) — it can only modify nouns. Sentence A tries to use it as a predicate, which is not allowed. To make a predicate, use 大きい: この犬は大きい。
Q3. How do you say "That grandfather is old but healthy" in Japanese? Can you use 古い?
Show Answer
おじいさんは年を取ったけど、元気です。
You cannot use 古い! 古い is only for objects (meaning "old/worn"). Using it for people would mean "someone with outdated thinking." To describe someone as elderly, use 年を取った (past tense of 年を取る).