か弱(よわ)い

かよわい

i-adjective

weak; frail; delicate

Conjugation

	Affirmative	Negative
Present	か弱(よわ)い	か弱(よわ)くない
Past	か弱(よわ)かった	か弱(よわ)くなかった
て form	か弱(よわ)くて	か弱(よわ)くなくて
Adverbial	か弱(よわ)く	—
Conditional ば	か弱(よわ)ければ	か弱(よわ)くなければ
Conditional たら	か弱(よわ)かったら	か弱(よわ)くなかったら

1. weak; frail; delicate

physically or emotionally weak; fragile and easily harmed; often implies a sense of needing protection

か弱(よわ)い子犬(こいぬ)を保護(ほご)した。

I rescued a frail puppy.

か弱(よわ)い女性(じょせい)を装(よそお)っていた。

She was pretending to be a fragile woman.

か弱(よわ)い声(こえ)で助(たす)けを求(もと)めた。

She asked for help in a weak voice.

か弱(よわ)い describes physical or emotional fragility, often evoking a sense of vulnerability or need for protection.

Etymology

The prefix か is an intensifier meaning "somewhat" or "in a manner of," combined with 弱(よわ)い (weak).

Common collocations

か弱(よわ)い女性(じょせい) (a delicate/fragile woman)
か弱(よわ)い体(からだ) (a frail body)
か弱(よわ)い存在(そんざい) (a vulnerable being)
か弱(よわ)い声(こえ) (a weak voice)

Usage

Has a literary or emotional quality
Often used to describe women, children, or small animals
Implies something or someone that evokes protective feelings
Can be used ironically to describe someone who appears weak but isn't

Related words

弱(よわ)い (weak - basic form)
華奢(きゃしゃ) (delicate, slender)
か細(ぼそ)い (thin, weak)
儚(はかな)い (fleeting, fragile)

Register: Literary to neutral. More formal than simple 弱(よわ)い.

Related Words

Related: 華奢(きゃしゃ) (delicate, slender)

Related: 儚(はかな)い (fleeting, fragile)

Compare: 儚(はかな)げ (seemingly fragile)

general

Added 2026.1.21 22:22 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

07500/07869_kayowai