優しい (yasashii) means “kind,” “gentle,” or “mild.” It describes considerate people and gentle treatment, including products that are easy on skin. 易しい is a separate word with the same pronunciation meaning “easy.” The kanji and surrounding words distinguish them in writing.
also yasashii / yasashikatta / 優しさ / 易しい
kind, warm · gentle, soft · easy on ~ (the skin, the planet)
Sentences
6 sentences, word by word
優しい · describing a person
polite
。
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先生
せんせい ［3］
teacher
noun · also a title for doctors and lawyers
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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厳しい
きびしい ［3］
strict; demanding
い-adjective · about standards, not about temper
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けど
けど
but
conjunction · casual contrast
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優しい
やさしい ［0,3］
kind; warm
い-adjective · a compliment about temperament
優しいN4kind · gentle
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です
です
polite copula
copula · い-adjective ＋ です, no だ
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My teacher is strict but kind.
優しい声 · attached to a noun
plain past
。
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彼女
かのじょ ［1］
she
pronoun · third person
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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優しい
やさしい ［0,3］
gentle
い-adjective attributive · attaches straight to the noun
優しいN4gentle · kind
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声
こえ ［1］
voice
noun · 声をかける to call out to someone
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で
で
with; by means of
particle · the means by which she spoke
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話しかけて
はなしかけて
spoke to me and
て-form of 話しかける · addressing someone first
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くれた
くれた
did it for me
くれる in past · marks the kindness as directed at the speaker
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She spoke to me in a gentle voice.
〜に優しい · gentle on
polite
。
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この
この
this
demonstrative · the one near the speaker
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石鹸
せっけん ［0］
soap
noun · usually written in kana on packaging
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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肌
はだ ［1］
skin
noun · 肌 human skin, 皮 a peel or hide
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に
に
on; toward
particle · marks what the gentleness is aimed at
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優しい
やさしい ［0,3］
gentle; kind to
い-adjective · the 〜に優しい advertising frame
優しいN4gentle on · kind
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です
です
polite copula
copula · plain い-adjective ＋ です
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This soap is gentle on your skin.
優しさ · the noun
plain past
。
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彼
かれ ［1］
he
pronoun · third person
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の
の
links noun to noun
particle · A の B = B belonging to A
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優しさ
やさしさ
kindness
noun from 優しい · い swaps for さ
優しいN4kind · gentle
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を
を
marks the direct object
particle · pronounced お
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忘れない
わすれない
won't forget
negative of 忘れる · plain non-past
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I'll never forget his kindness.
子供に優しい · toward people
plain
。
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彼
かれ ［1］
he
pronoun · third person
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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子供
こども ［0］
children
noun · no plural marking needed
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に
に
to; at; into
particle · a point something reaches — a place, a time, a person, or a state
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すごく
すごく
really
adverb from すごい · casual intensifier
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優しい
やさしい ［0,3］
warm; good with
い-adjective · 〜に優しい aimed at people
優しいN4kind · gentle
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He's really good with children.
易しい · the homophone
polite
。
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今日
きょう ［1］
today
noun used adverbially · no particle needed
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の
の
links noun to noun
particle · A の B = B belonging to A
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問題
もんだい ［0］
question; problem
noun · exam questions and social problems alike
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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思った
おもった
thought
past of 思う · 思ったより means 'than I thought'
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より
より
than
particle · the comparison standard
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易しかった
やさしかった
was easy
past of 易しい · a different word from 優しい
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です
です
polite copula
copula · past plain adjective ＋ です
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Today's question was easier than I expected.
Forms
How 優しい attaches
Person ＋ は＋優しい
彼は優しい. The central use. It is a compliment about temperament, not about any single action.
Target ＋ に＋優しい
子供に優しい, 肌に優しい, 環境に優しい. Kind toward whatever the に marks — people, skin, the planet.
優しい＋声 / 目 / 光
優しい声, a gentle voice. Attaching straight to a noun, い-adjectives need nothing in between.
優し＋さ
彼の優しさ, his kindness. The same さ gives you 高さ height, 大きさ size, 難しさ difficulty.
Meaning
優しい vs 親切 vs 甘い
優しい is a disposition. It says something about who the person is — how they speak, how they treat people when nothing is at stake. You can be 優しい without doing anything in particular.
親切 is an act of helpfulness. The stranger who walks you to the station is 親切; whether they are 優しい as a person you have no idea. If you are thanking someone for a specific kindness, 親切にしていただいて is the natural phrasing.
甘い is warmth that has gone too far. A parent who never says no is 甘い, not 優しい — the first is a criticism and the second is a compliment. The line between them is whether the softness is doing the person any good.
易しい is a different word entirely. Same sound, and it means easy: 易しい問題, a simple question. Speech relies on context, so nobody actually confuses them — but reading, the kanji is your only signal, and 優 is the one about people.
Inside the kanji
優 — excellent, and gentle with it
優 — the same character as “excellent”
優 gives you 優秀 outstanding, 優勝 winning a tournament, and 優先 priority. These compounds share a character; that alone does not establish why 優しい came to mean gentle.
俳優 — the actor connection
俳優 means actor, and 女優 actress. The same character appears in words about kindness and the stage, but their relationship is not explained by the spelling alone.
Making nouns with さ
優しい → 優しさ follows a rule that works across the language: 高い → 高さ height, 難しい → 難しさ difficulty, 大きい → 大きさ size. Drop the い, add さ.
Watch out
Where 優しい goes wrong
Using it for a one-off favour
For a specific helpful act, 親切 fits better — ご親切にありがとうございます. 優しい describes the person, not the deed.
Confusing it with 甘い
A parent who never enforces anything is 甘い. Calling them 優しい is a compliment they may not deserve, and the two words are pulling in opposite directions.
Writing 易しい when you mean kind
Both read やさしい and only the kanji tells them apart. 優 is the one with people in it; 易 belongs to 簡単-style easiness.
Also asked
Questions people ask about 優しい
What's the difference between 優しい and 親切?
優しい is temperament — warm by nature. 親切 is a helpful act. A stranger who gives you directions is 親切; a friend who always notices when you are down is 優しい.
優しい and 易しい sound identical — how do I tell them apart?
By context in speech and by kanji in writing. 優 is about people and gentleness; 易 is about ease. A gentle person is 優しい人; an easy question is 易しい問題.
What does 環境に優しい mean?
Eco-friendly — gentle on the environment. The 〜に優しい frame is everywhere in advertising: 肌に優しい gentle on skin, 地球に優しい kind to the planet.
Is calling someone 優しい romantic?
Not by itself — it is the standard compliment for a good person and gets said about colleagues and grandmothers. In a survey about ideal partners it is usually the top answer, which is a different thing from a confession.
How do I say kindness as a noun?
優しさ. Drop the い and add さ — the same rule that turns 高い into 高さ.
優しい or 甘い for a lenient parent?
甘い. It means they go too easy, and it is a criticism. 優しい would praise the same behaviour, so the choice tells the listener what you think of it.
