{"id":176596952,"date":"2022-06-17T10:13:06","date_gmt":"2022-06-17T17:13:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lingq.com\/blog-new\/?p=176596952"},"modified":"2025-05-19T11:24:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T18:24:58","slug":"cute-japanese-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lingq.com\/blog\/cute-japanese-words\/","title":{"rendered":"Cute Japanese Words You Ought to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Japanese is a fascinating and rich language with a long history. It\u2019s also a language full of cute words and expressions<\/a> to describe just the right feeling. Today we\u2019ve got a list of some of the most cute Japanese words that every Japanese learner can appreciate.<\/span><\/p>\n

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10 Cute Japanese Words\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Just a Little \u2014 \u3061\u3087\u3063\u3068 (Chotto)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Chotto<\/span><\/i> is not only one of the most useful words in Japanese, it\u2019s also one of the cutest. You\u2019ll hear people say <\/span>chotto<\/span><\/i> in a lot of situations – describing a small amount of something or a small amount of time. And you\u2019ll definitely hear it said when a person is being asked to wait.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u3061\u3087\u3063\u3068\u5f85\u3063\u3066\u4e0b\u3055\u3044<\/span> (chotto matte-kudasai)<\/span>
\n\u2018Please wait <\/span>a little bit<\/b>\/for <\/span>a little while<\/b>\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u3061\u3087\u3063\u3068\u82f1\u8a9e\u304c\u8a71\u305b\u308b<\/span> (chotto eigo-ga hanaseru)<\/span>
\n\u2018He can speak <\/span>a little<\/b> English\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

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The word can also be used to give a polite negative response or to say \u2018no\u2019 more indirectly. And since politeness is paramount in Japanese, it\u2019s essential to know it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A:<\/span> \u98f2\u307f\u306b\u884c\u304b\u306a\u3044\uff1f<\/span> (nomi-ni iki ga-nai?)<\/span>
\n\u2018Want to go out drinking?\u2019<\/span>
\nB:<\/span> \u3042\u30fc,\u00a0 <\/span>\u3061\u3087\u3063\u3068<\/span> (aaah, chotto)<\/span>
\n\u2018<\/span>I can\u2019t<\/b>\u2026\u2019<\/span>
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Just a Bit More \u2014 \u5c11\u3057<\/a> (Sukoshi)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Here we have another word for describing “just a little bit”. It has a very similar meaning to chotto<\/em>, although it\u2019s used a bit less. That doesn\u2019t make it any less cute though.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u5c11\u3057<\/b>\u8003\u3048\u3055\u305b\u3066<\/span> (sukoshi kangaechisete)<\/span>
\n\u2018Let me think it over <\/span>a little<\/b>.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

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Adorable Egg \u2014 \u5375 (Tamago)\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The word <\/span>tamago<\/span><\/i> really just means egg. In Japanese however, knowing a bit more about Japanese culture can clue in on it\u2019s cuteness. By itself tomago can mean a <\/span>rookie<\/span><\/i> or a <\/span>newbie<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u30a4\u30e9\u30b9\u30c8\u30ec\u30fc\u30bf\u30fc\u306e<\/span>\u5375<\/b>\u3067\u3059<\/span> (irasutor\u0113t\u0101-no-tamago desu)<\/span>
\n\u2018I\u2019m a rookie illustrator.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tomago is also used in Japanese to make compounds for characters, like the relatable <\/span>gudetama<\/span><\/a>, who is always lazy and unmotivated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And of course the world-famous Tamagotchi is made from the word <\/span>tomago<\/span><\/i> (egg) and <\/span>tomodachi<\/span><\/i> (friend).<\/span><\/p>\n

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You know what’s full of kawaii words? Anime! You can import your favourite anime into LingQ and study them in the LingQ reader<\/a>. Check out this short video on how to make Japanese language lessons from anime.<\/p>\n