Cute Japanese Words to Make You Smile

Japan is famous for its style of cuteness, most popularly seen in kawaii culture, and the many cute Japanese words reflect this. Don’t we all love things that are cute? Words that sound cute to us are the words we associate with things that are cute in reality, for instance, animals or babies, and how children move. There are many specific Japanese words to describe things that are small and innocent or sweet and adorable.

If you are interested in Japanese culture in general or in the Japanese language, it is likely that you have encountered kawaii culture. In this article, we will dive into the world of kawaii culture and discover lots of cute Japanese words and phrases.

What is the word for cute in Japanese?

The Japanese word for cute is kawaii (かわいい), and this word is probably one of the most well-known Japanese words, as the Japanese pop culture phenomenon called ‘kawaii culture’ is gaining popularity around the globe.

It isn't too much of an exaggeration to say that cuteness is so ingrained in Japanese culture that you see it everywhere in all forms.

One example is yuru kyara (ゆるキャラ), which is a cute mascot representing or promoting a place or region, event, organization or business. Among these yuru kyara (ゆるキャラ) is kumamon (くまモン), a black bear with round red cheeks that has gained huge recognition and success promoting the Kumamoto prefecture. (Note that kuma means ‘bear’ in Japanese!)

Needless to say, those mascots are designed to be cute as they can easily gain popularity. Members of pop groups in Japan are also expected to dress, speak and behave in a kawaii manner. In addition to its place in pop culture, kawaii culture can also be seen in anime, gaming, and fashion trends, which significantly influence different sectors of Japanese society. You will find that the marketing and advertising of consumer products emphasizes cuteness as well.

Cuteness can be found even in the food industry of Japan. One rare type of cuteness that may not be seen outside of Japan is cute food. Even food can be part of kawaii culture. (Want to know how to order food in Japanese? Check out our article on it!)

One example is kyaraben (キャラ弁), which is short for ‘character bentō’ (キャラクター弁当). These kyaraben (キャラ弁) boxed lunches are decorated with images of popular media characters. Japanese homemakers create all types of kyaraben (キャラ弁) using various ingredients.

As social media became more widespread, kyaraben (キャラ弁) became more widely known. Bloggers and Instagrammers often upload images of their original kyaraben (キャラ弁), and they are all so cute! The only downside is that you may not want to eat such cute food!

Next, let’s explore cute Japanese words themselves.

Cute Japanese examples of onomatopoeia

It would be impossible to discuss cute Japanese words without mentioning onomatopoeia, as onomatopoeia is the perfect choice to describe cute things like little bunnies or babies munching food.

In case you’re not familiar with this word, onomatopoeia refers to words that sound or ‘feel’ like the thing they describe. English examples include the word ‘bang’ for a loud noise or ‘quack’ for the sound a duck makes.

One interesting characteristic of Japanese is the huge number of onomatopoeia. Japanese is said to have 4000 to 5000 onomatopoeia, which is three to five times as many as other languages, though there are various theories on the exact number.

These words directly describe the appearance of things or people or a state of mind. Often the words contain a repeated sound, as you can see in the examples below.

We’ll start with words that describe the state of something.

Fuwa fuwa (ふわふわ)

This word is used to describe something soft in texture, and it’s also used to describe something light floating in the air. For example, cotton candy can be described as fuwafuwa (ふわふわ). Cartoon images of clouds can be described as fuwafuwa (ふわふわ) as well.

Mofu mofu (もふもふ)

Mofumofu (もふもふ) is for something fluffy, such as soft animal fur that is really nice to touch. Cute little bunnies are definitely described as mofumofu (もふもふ).

Poka poka (ぽかぽか)

This word can be used to describe the ideal day with the perfect temperature or just a warm temperature. It can also be used to describe the feeling of being warm, comfortable and relaxed.

Chapu chapu (ちゃぷちゃぷ)

Chapu chapu(ちゃぷちゃぷ) expresses the appearance of small waves or the splashing water of these little waves. Imagine a baby sitting in a bath and splashing water – that small splash can be chapuchapu (ちゃぷちゃぷ).

Puka puka (ぷかぷか)

This describes some light object floating on the surface of the water, like say a little toy ship or a boat floating in a baby bath. Both can be expressed as pukapuka (ぷかぷか).

Did these words elicit a feeling of cuteness within you? Onomatopoeia is not just limited to describing states of cuteness, though, but can also be used to express a state of mind or an action, like in the words below.

Uto uto (うとうと)

This word describes someone falling asleep or dozing off. You can combine it with the verb suru (する), which means ‘to do,’ and use it in a phrase like ‘utouto suru’ (うとうとする) to express the state of falling asleep.

Mogu mogu (もぐもぐ)

This word is used to express the appearance of chewing food without opening your mouth. When you think of this word, you can easily imagine someone stuffing their mouth full of food and enjoying it to the fullest.

Uki uki (うきうき)

This means the feeling of being excited by joy or expectation. It’s the state of being unable to calm down because of happiness. To express your state of being in high spirits, you can combine it with the verb suru (する) – just like we did with the word utouto above – and use it in a phrase like ukiuki suru (うきうきする).

Run run (るんるん)

This word describes a cheerful mood. It became a buzzword in the 1980s. It’s the feeling that one’s heart is dancing because of happiness or excitement.

Japanese cute words with negative connotations

There are a few cute words that indicate a negative meaning, but because of their cuteness, they are much less harsh than they are actually meant to be. Curious to know those? Let’s have a look at some!

Pun pun (ぷんぷん)

Pun pun (ぷんぷん) is an onomatopoeia meaning ‘a strong smell’ or ‘being very angry.’ This word is used quite commonly for both meanings. The ‘p’ sound may give it a comical tone – despite the negative meaning of the word, it has somehow transformed into something cute.

Poccchari (ぽっちゃり)

Poccchari (ぽっちゃり) is a term used to describe a person with a plump and cute face and body. It is a positive way to describe people who are on the chubby side. This does not give a harsh meaning like the word futotteiru (太っている), which means ‘fat.’

Ponkotsu (ぽんこつ)

Ponkotsu (ぽんこつ) is a word originally used to describe things or machines that are not working properly, but recently it has also come to describe a person's abilities. In that case, it is often used to describe someone who makes a lot of mistakes or who is not able to perform well.

At the same time, ponkotsu (ぽんこつ) can also be used in a positive manner, almost as a compliment. It is used to describe a person who often makes mistakes but who is honest and lovable, like ‘a cute but clumsy person.’ Often the presence of that kind of person makes the atmosphere more relaxed since they are not competitive.

Henachoko (へなちょこ)

Henachoko (へなちょこ) is a word used to refer to immature or uninteresting people.

It means insignificant and not particularly useful.

This particular phase is not used in any positive way. Henachoko (へなちょこ) can describe a person who is still in the process of growing and who has something to look forward to in the future, but it is intended to be used in an insulting way or to ridicule another.

Tonchinkan (トンチンカン)

This word comes from the sound of hammering iron when forging a sword. At the blacksmith’s forge in olden days, between the strikes of the hammer, the apprentice would chime in. If the timing of the chime was bad, it would sound out of sync, like ‘tonchinkan’ (トンチンカン), so this word came to refer to things that don't make sense or to describe foolish behavior.

Akkerakan (あっけらかん)

Akkerakan (あっけらかん) is a state of being in a daze or unconcerned about anything, or being so surprised or shocked that you can’t move or your face is blank. It comes from the word akke (あっけ), which means having one’s mouth wide open. Basically, the word akkerakan (あっけらかん) refers to being absent-minded and unconcerned with anything.

Spin-off versions of kawaii words

There are some words that originate from the word kawaii but have more meaning to them. Spinoff versions of the word kawaii are considered slang, but they are very interesting to know!

Busakawa (ぶさかわ)

Busakawa (ぶさかわ) is an expression used to describe a face or expression that is ugly but cute. It is a combination of busaiku (ブサイク), which means ‘ugly,’ and kawaii (かわいい), which means ‘cute.’ This idea can also be expressed with the word busakawaii (ブサかわいい). It is often used to describe a face that is not exactly handsome or pretty but still cute. It is the perfect word to describe bulldogs.

Kimokawa (きもかわ)

Similar to busakawa (ぶさかわ), kimokawa (きもかわ) means ‘disgusting but cute.’ It comes from the word kimoi, which means ‘disgusting’ or ‘creepy.’ Can you imagine something creepy but cute? Probably some anime character? Some characters can be creepy looking, but at the same time somehow cute.

Onikawa (おにかわ)

Oni means a demon or ogre as they often appear in Japanese folklore. Its appearance is quite fearsome, with a fierce face and monstrous horns.

Adding oni (おに) to phrases has become slang used by young people who prefer to emphasize their expressions. It is used at the beginning of the phrase oni no youni (おにのように), which means ‘like oni,’ and then it is shortened to oni umai (おにうまい) to mean ‘super tasty.’ (Of course, umai means ‘yummy’ or ‘tasty.’)

Oni (おに) is often connected to an adjective to emphasize its meaning. So onikawa (おにかわ) means ‘super or extremely cute.’

Wrapping up

As you can see, there is an abundance of cute words in Japanese. They range from cute-sounding words to cute words that ‘feel’ like the thing they describe. Also, you may have noticed how much of an important role kawaii culture plays in Japanese society. By knowing kawaii culture, you can have a better understanding of Japanese people’s behavior and way of thinking.

The examples in this article just scratch the surface of the cute world of the Japanese language. This list is certain to grow as you learn the language, so have fun finding more!