若い（わかい、wakai）
- young

The Japanese word 若い 若い (wakai) primarily means "young" in terms of age. It describes someone or something that is not old, possessing the characteristics of youth or being in an early stage of development. It can refer to people, animals, things, or even abstract concepts like a "young" company or a "young" idea.

⚫︎ 彼は若い Translation: He is young. ⚫︎ 若い頃の写真 Translation: Photos from my younger days. ⚫︎ この会社は若い Translation: This company is young.

⚫︎ Use 若い 若い to describe the age of a person or the stage of development of something. ⚫︎ It is a common adjective and can be used in various contexts, from casual conversations to formal settings. ⚫︎ Be mindful of the context; sometimes, 若い 若い can also imply inexperience or naiveté, depending on the situation.

⚫︎ Kanji: 若い ⚫︎ Hiragana: わかい ⚫︎ 若い 若い always uses the kanji. ⚫︎ There is no variation in the okurigana.

⚫︎ 幼い (osamnai) - young (childlike, small) ⚫︎ 年若い (toshiwakai) - young (of age) ⚫︎ 若々しい (wakawakashii) - youthful; young-looking (can also imply vitality and energy)

⚫︎ 年老いた (toshi oita) - old (aged) ⚫︎ 老いた (oita) - old (aged) ⚫︎ 年配の (nenpai no) - elderly

彼女は若い頃から夢を追いかけています。 ・Translation: She has been pursuing her dreams since she was young. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 若い 若い to describe the period of someone's life.

このレストランは、シェフが若いのに腕がいい。 ・Translation: This restaurant has a good chef despite the chef being young. ・Explanation: This example describes a chef and uses 若い 若い in a positive context.

The etymology of 若い 若い is not completely certain, but it's believed to be derived from the verb stem わか (waka-) meaning "to be new" or "to be fresh," and the adjective ending い (-i). This reflects the concept of newness, freshness, and the beginning stages of life or development associated with youth.