優しい
やさしい
i-adjective
kind, gentle; friendly to (environment, skin)
See also:
易しい (easy)
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 優しい | 優しくない |
| Past | 優しかった | 優しくなかった |
| て form | 優しくて | 優しくなくて |
| Adverbial | 優しく | — |
| Conditional ば | 優しければ | 優しくなければ |
| Conditional たら | 優しかったら | 優しくなかったら |
1.
kind, gentle, considerate
Kind, caring, and considerate toward others; also of a voice, look, or touch that is soft and gentle. With a thing as the subject, it means gentle on or friendly to something, such as the environment or the skin.
This car is environmentally friendly.
With a thing as the subject, Xに優しい means "gentle on X" or "friendly to X."
優しい describes a person, manner, or gesture as kind, gentle, and considerate. It works before a noun (優しい人) and as a predicate (母は優しい); the person treated kindly takes に (誰にでも優しい, kind to everyone).
Usage
With a thing as the subject, Xに優しい means "gentle on X" or "friendly to X":
Forms
- Adverbial: 優しく (優しくする, to be kind to someone; 優しく話す, to speak gently)
- Noun form: 優しさ (kindness, gentleness)
Watch out
易しい (easy) is a different word with the same reading. In kana-only writing やさしい can be either, and only context tells them apart: やさしい先生 is a kind teacher, やさしい問題 an easy question.
Similar words
Related Words
Antonym:
厳しい (strict, harsh)
Synonym:
親切 (kind, helpful in actions)
Compare:
慈悲深い (compassionate)
Related:
優しさ (kindness, gentleness)