1.
soft-spoken; mild-mannered; gentle in demeanor
Describes a person whose manner of speaking and overall bearing is gentle, polite, and approachable. A highly positive description of someone's personality.
物腰が柔らかい人だ。
They are a gentle-mannered person.
先生は物腰が柔らかくて、質問しやすい。
The teacher is soft-spoken, so it's easy to ask questions.
彼は物腰が柔らかいが、仕事に対しては非常に厳しい。
He is mild-mannered, but extremely strict when it comes to work.
Composed of 物腰 (manner, bearing, demeanor) + が + 柔らかい (soft, gentle). 物腰 literally means 'the way one carries things' but refers to a person's overall manner and deportment.
USAGE:
A common and highly complimentary expression. It describes someone who puts others at ease through their gentle tone, polite language, and calm body language. Often used to describe professionals in service roles, teachers, or leaders who are approachable.
VARIATIONS:
- 物腰の柔らかい人: a gentle-mannered person (attributive form)
- 物腰が柔らかな: same meaning with な-adjective ending
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 物腰が柔らかい人: a mild-mannered person
- 物腰の柔らかさ: the gentleness of one's manner
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 穏やか: calm, gentle — describes personality broadly, not limited to manner/bearing
- 丁寧: polite, careful — focuses more on politeness in behavior and language
- 物腰が硬い: stiff in manner — the opposite expression