<p>No, Japanese <strong>kawaii</strong> is not etymologically related to Chinese 「可愛」.</p>
<hr />
<p>As a very simplified explanation, Japanese <strong>kawaii</strong> is a native Japanese word, originally coming from a contraction of <strong>kao</strong> (<em>face</em>, forming the <strong>kaw</strong> part of the word) and <strong>hayushi</strong> (<em>flushed</em>, forming the <strong>aii</strong> part of the word). The semantic extension is as follows:</p>
<p><em>flushed face</em> &gt; <em>embarrassed</em> &gt; <em>pitiable</em> &gt; <em>lovable</em></p>
<p>The modern Japanese spelling 「可愛い」 is completely <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji#jukujikun" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>jukujikun</em></a> (熟字訓); that is, none of the Chinese characters used here reflect any kind of etymology (Japanese or otherwise).</p>
<p>To reiterate, none of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morpheme" rel="nofollow noreferrer">morphemes</a> which <strong>kawaii</strong> is composed of are Chinese in origin at all, but for the benefit of anyone who's studying Japanese and are aware of [the idea of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji#Kun%27yomi_(native_reading)" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>kun'yomi</em></a>], [Japanese spelling habits], and how it's a complete <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_herring" rel="nofollow noreferrer">red herring</a> to relate [<em>kun'yomi</em> words represented by Chinese characters] to [Chinese morphemes], the modern spelling of those Japanese words are:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>kawaii</strong> - 「可愛い」</li>
<li><strong>kao</strong> - 「顔」</li>
<li><strong>hayushi</strong> - 「映し」</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<p><strong>References:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%8F%AF%E6%84%9B%E3%81%84#Japanese" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%8F%AF%E6%84%9B%E3%81%84#Japanese</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-15T01:13:07.540Z
2021-08-15T08:54:40.663Z
2021-08-15T08:54:40.663Z
dROOOze
<p>They are unrelated.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>汉字表记可愛い为借字 (当て字)和熟字訓，且使用了愛的不规则读法。<strong>与汉语可爱</strong>(官话kě'ài，闽南语khó-ài)<strong>发音相近实属巧合</strong>。</p>
<p><a href="https://zh.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%8F%AF%E6%84%9B%E3%81%84#%E6%97%A5%E8%AA%9E" rel="nofollow noreferrer">维基词典 - 可愛い</a></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-12T13:07:58.740Z
Do you know why the Japanese retained some of the Chinese characters but not their meanings and pronunciations?
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-14T04:01:01.370Z
@r13 https://zh.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%86%9F%E5%AD%97%E8%A8%93 ？
T-Pioneer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-15T08:37:06.127Z
Unrelated in pronouciation.
Limina102
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-12T02:40:12.873Z
2021-08-12T02:40:12.873Z
T-Pioneer
<p>Did the Japanese word originate in Chinese, or was it the other way around? Or are the two words related at all?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-11T22:31:06.547Z
I noticed the both Japan and Korea maintained some expressions the same as in Chinese (the meanings and pronunciations). But I don't know if this is one of the cases.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-11T22:50:19.563Z
According to [Japanese Wiktionary](https://ja.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E3%81%8B%E3%82%8F%E3%81%84%E3%81%84), they seem to be unrelated.
Alan Zzz
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-15T11:26:27.483Z
Related: [Which of 可爱/可愛い was exported to the other between Chinese and Japanese?](https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/questions/20049/which-of-%e5%8f%af%e7%88%b1-%e5%8f%af%e6%84%9b%e3%81%84-was-exported-to-the-other-between-chinese-and-japanese/20067#20067)
Michaelyus
<etymology>
How are 可爱 and Japanese 'kawaii' related?
# How are 可爱 and Japanese 'kawaii' related?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-08-11)

Did the Japanese word originate in Chinese, or was it the other way around? Or are the two words related at all?

**Tags:** etymology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I noticed the both Japan and Korea maintained some expressions the same as in Chinese (the meanings and pronunciations). But I don't know if this is one of the cases.  
> **username_2**: According to [Japanese Wiktionary](https://ja.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E3%81%8B%E3%82%8F%E3%81%84%E3%81%84), they seem to be unrelated.  
> **username_3**: Related: [Which of 可爱/可愛い was exported to the other between Chinese and Japanese?](https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/questions/20049/which-of-%e5%8f%af%e7%88%b1-%e5%8f%af%e6%84%9b%e3%81%84-was-exported-to-the-other-between-chinese-and-japanese/20067#20067)  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2021-08-15. Score: 6

No, Japanese **kawaii** is not etymologically related to Chinese 「可愛」.

---

As a very simplified explanation, Japanese **kawaii** is a native Japanese word, originally coming from a contraction of **kao** (*face*, forming the **kaw** part of the word) and **hayushi** (*flushed*, forming the **aii** part of the word). The semantic extension is as follows:

*flushed face* > *embarrassed* > *pitiable* > *lovable*

The modern Japanese spelling 「可愛い」 is completely [*jukujikun*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji#jukujikun) (熟字訓); that is, none of the Chinese characters used here reflect any kind of etymology (Japanese or otherwise).

To reiterate, none of the [morphemes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morpheme) which **kawaii** is composed of are Chinese in origin at all, but for the benefit of anyone who's studying Japanese and are aware of [the idea of [*kun'yomi*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji#Kun%27yomi_(native_reading))], [Japanese spelling habits], and how it's a complete [red herring](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_herring) to relate [*kun'yomi* words represented by Chinese characters] to [Chinese morphemes], the modern spelling of those Japanese words are:

* **kawaii** - 「可愛い」
* **kao** - 「顔」
* **hayushi** - 「映し」

---

**References:**

* <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%8F%AF%E6%84%9B%E3%81%84#Japanese>


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2021-08-12. Score: 0

They are unrelated.

> 汉字表记可愛い为借字 (当て字)和熟字訓，且使用了愛的不规则读法。**与汉语可爱**(官话kě'ài，闽南语khó-ài)**发音相近实属巧合**。
>
> [维基词典 - 可愛い](https://zh.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%8F%AF%E6%84%9B%E3%81%84#%E6%97%A5%E8%AA%9E)

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Do you know why the Japanese retained some of the Chinese characters but not their meanings and pronunciations?  
> **username_5**: @username_1 https://zh.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%86%9F%E5%AD%97%E8%A8%93 ？  
> **username_6**: Unrelated in pronouciation.  

---

