Japanese word

若い

Pronunciation

Romajiwakai

Meaning

  • i-adjectiveyoung

Example

その子はまだ若いです。so no ko wa ma da waka i de su

That child is still young.

Illustration for 若い (young)

More examples

私の犬はまだ若いです。watashi no inu wa ma da waka i de su

My dog is still young.

姉は実際の年齢より若く見えます。ane wa jis sai no nen rei yo ri waka ku mi e ma su

My older sister looks younger than her actual age.

Core concept

It marks someone or something as having lived for a relatively short time and therefore being young.

Common phrases

  • 若い人waka i hito

    young person

  • 若い世代waka i se dai

    young generation

  • 若い頃waka i koro

    when young

  • 若いうちにwaka i u chi ni

    while young

  • 若く見えるwaka ku mi e ru

    look young

Similar words

幼いosanai: Being young in age or at an early stage of growth.
若々しいwakawakashii: Showing the appearance or qualities of someone young.

Definition in Japanese

生まれてからあまり年数がたっておらず、まだ年齢が低いさま。u ma re te ka ra a ma ri nen sū ga ta tte o ra zu ma da nen rei ga hiku i sa ma

Word origin

若い (wakai, "young") is the modern form of the older native adjective 若し (wakashi, "young"), whose ending changed during the history of Japanese.

Usage tips

  • 若い (wakai) can describe people, animals, and plants, so it applies to a young tree as well as to a young child.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word