How to say "tender" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 優しいやさしいi-adjectiveCovers tender in the emotional sense: kind and gentle toward people. Use it for a tender heart, look, or words; it does not describe the physical softness of objects.
- 提供ていきょうnoun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers tender in the sense of offering or supplying something. It is really the word for providing and supplying, so it suits contexts like services or information rather than tender feelings or touch.
- 柔らかいやわらかいi-adjectiveCovers tender in the physical sense: food that is easy to chew, or soft skin and flesh. It broadly means soft and flexible, so context decides whether tender is the right rendering.
- 柔らかやわらかna-adjectiveShares the soft, tender, pliant, supple sense of 柔らかい; the two overlap in describing things that are not hard or stiff, and either can be the word behind English tender.
- 入札にゅうさつnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers tender as a bid in commercial and public-works contexts, where parties submit tenders for a contract. It has nothing to do with gentleness or softness, so it fits only this business sense.
For tender emotions and gentle people use 「優しい」; for soft food, skin, or flesh use 「柔らかい」 or 「柔らか」; for tender as an offer or supply use 提供; for tender as a bid use 入札.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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