Kanji 軟: soft

Key takeaways

Kanji 軟: soft. Readings and core meaning.

See vocabulary and examples below.

Kanji at a glance

軟

Meaning

soft

On reading

ナン

Kun reading

やわ.らかやわ.らかい

Radical

車

Core meaning / core image

Core meaning: 軟

soft

Kanji structure breakdown

軟

Structure breakdown

車 + 欠

Mnemonic story

Imagine a carriage (車) that is so soft and comfortable that it makes you yawn (欠). This kanji represents the softness or flexibility of a well-cushioned ride, as seen in words like 'flexible' (柔軟) or 'soft landing' (軟着).

On'yomi and kun'yomi

On reading

ナン

柔軟じゅうなん
flexible / adaptable

Kun reading

やわ.らか

軟らかいやわらかい
soft / tender / flexible

Commonly used words

柔軟
じゅうなん
flexible / adaptable
軟らかい
やわらかい
soft / tender / flexible

Example sentences

Example 1

彼はとても柔軟な考え方をする。

Translation

He has a very flexible way of thinking.

Example 2

この素材は柔軟で使いやすいです。

Translation

This material is flexible and easy to use.

Example 3

このパンはとてもやわらかいです。

Translation

This bread is very soft.

Example 4

彼の手はやわらかくて温かい。

Translation

His hands are soft and warm.

Kanji 軟: soft

Kanji at a glance

Core meaning / core image

Kanji structure breakdown

Mnemonic story

On'yomi and kun'yomi

On reading

Kun reading

Commonly used words

Example sentences

柔軟 (じゅうなん): meaning and examples

軟らかい (やわらかい): meaning and examples