ソフト

• Reading: ソフト
• Romaji: sofuto
• Pronunciation: /so.ɸɯ.to/

Meaning

Soft; gentle; software. A versatile loanword for soft textures, mild flavours, and computer programs.

A na-adjective and noun borrowed from English 'soft.' As an adjective, describes textures, impressions, or approaches that are gentle and not harsh: ソフトな手触り (soft texture). As a noun, commonly refers to software (shortened from ソフトウェア). Also used in ソフトクリーム (soft-serve ice cream) and ソフトドリンク (soft drink).

Examples

1. このタオルはとてもソフトな手触りですね。 This towel has a really soft feel to it, doesn't it?
2. 新しいソフトをパソコンに入れました。 I installed new software on my computer.
3. ソフトクリームが食べたいです。 I want to eat some soft-serve ice cream.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, textures, food

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Borrowed from English 'soft' in the early 20th century. Entered Japanese through trade and technology. The word filled a gap for describing gentle textures and later expanded to cover software in the computing age.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal