Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Beautiful" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "beautiful", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
きれい
きれい (kirei)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
きれいな
きれいな (kirei na)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "beautiful" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between きれい and きれいな.
In Japanese, きれい (きれい (kirei)) is typically associated with "beautiful; clean" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents A na-adjective. Can mean 'beautiful/pretty' for people/things, or 'clean' for places/objects. Often has positive connotations..
On the other hand, きれいな (きれいな (kirei na)) maps to "beautiful; clean; pretty; tidy" (Syllabus Level: N4) and represents An adjective. A literal translation of "beautiful" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "きれい"
あの花はとてもきれいです。
That flower is very beautiful.
Bilingual Context for "きれいな"
あの花はとてもきれいです。
That flower is very beautiful.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "あの花はとても ＿＿＿ です。" (Meaning: "That flower is very beautiful.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "きれい" fits here because it means "beautiful; clean" in the context of: "That flower is very beautiful.". "きれいな" represents "beautiful; clean; pretty; tidy".