How to say "chubby" in Japanese

• 丸々まるまるJLPT N1approx.Common
  prenominal modifier, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers the plump, rotund sense of chubby: a soft, rounded fullness viewed fondly or neutrally. Typical contexts are a baby's cheeks or a pet grown pleasingly plump.
  それから、毎日まいにちおじいさんと、おばあさんがこねこにミルクを飲のませましたら、こねこは、まもなく、かわいらしいまるまるとしたねこに、なりました。↗

  Every day grandfather and grandmother gave the kitten plenty of milk, and soon the kitten grew nice and plump.
• デブCommon
  no-adjective, na-adjectiveA blunt colloquial word for a fat person; its 'chubby' sense is the rude, name-calling kind, and it can easily give offense, so it is not a neutral way to describe someone.
• 太り肉ふとりじしCommon
  no-adjectiveIts main senses are 'corpulent' and 'fat': it names flesh that has grown fat rather than describing a pleasantly plump person, so it is seldom the word you want for mild 'chubby'.

Choose 丸々 for pleasing, rounded plumpness; 「デブ」 for a blunt colloquial, often insulting way to call someone fat; 「太り肉」 really points to corpulence or excess flesh, seldom to mild chubbiness.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 丸々まるまるplump
• でぶfat
• 太り肉ふとりじしcorpulent
• プチでぶchubby
• 中太りちゅうぶとりchubby
• ふとましいchubby
• むちむちplump
• むっちりplump
• ぼってりfleshy
• ぽてぽてplump
• 太ったふとったplump
• 丸々と太ったまるまるとふとったrotund
• 丸まっちいまるまっちいplump
• 丸々太ったまるまるふとったrotund
• まるぽちゃplump
• ぽちゃplump
• ムチっplump
• ぽちゃぽちゃchubby (and cute)
• くりくりplump and round
• むくむくplump
• ころころchubby (and cute)