Kawaii (or not Kawaii, that is the question!)

[Egghead3]

What does Kawaii translate to?
Having visited a web-site with that name, I got the impression it must mean something like ‘cute’ or ‘sweet’.
But having heard actresses use the word in more explicit lesbian videos, I wonder if it should be ‘hot’, ‘sexy’, ‘beautiful’, ‘gorgeous’?

 

[handyman]

I can mean pretty much all of the words you listed

 

[Gir633]

I've always noticed how kowai sounds so close to Kawaii. I don't think it is just coincidence.
:beautiful:
:coldsweat:
:snicker2:

 

[Ceewan]

When in doubt consult the all knowing Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawaii

 

[Sakunyuusha]

The most common Japanophile mistake is to misuse kawaii when the intended meaning is along the lines of suteki, e.g. "That song was so kawaii!" when discussing Eric Clapton's song Tears in Heaven. I saw this on Youtube not but two hours ago. Very, very common error. Somehow people have got the idea into their heads that "kawaii" means "good," and it doesn't.

 

[aquamarine]

I agree with you there. Foreigners use that term WAY too often, kind of like how they tend to use 'Chan'. The follow up term 'chan' typically dictates a youth, or a child. So to say "Sakun-chan", I would be assuming he is either a child or mentally retarded if he was an adult. Kind of makes sense in a way that there's the website 'B-Chan' as it's full of children retards.

Kawaii means CUTE ...
Chan means YOU'RE A CHILD OR HAVE A CHILD-LIKE MENTALITY

I can however be used to speak to a younger loved one in a 'cute' sense but calling your best buddy with it just makes you look like you smoke shaft. "Hey Jason-chan, let's go pick up chicks tonight." My ex-girlfriend's father used to call me ____(name)-Chan... until I told him off. Up to that point, it had always been a condescending term he used. This goes for most other people here too.

So please people... don't be a B-Tard.

 

[handyman]

...Foreigners use that term WAY too often...

So do some Japanese. I got very tired of hearing girls (usually with guys at the time) saying almost everything they saw in shops was "kawaii". Very headache triggering...

 

[Rhinosaur]

-chan is used extensively by females amongst friends, even adults. My mother-, sister-in-law (who both love me to death), wife (she quite likes me, as well!) and many of my adult female friends have called me Maku-chan for nearly a decade and a half!
I hear girls using kawaii all the time! Never bothered me in the slightest!!