How to Say ‘Less sweet’ in Japanese
甘さ控えめ
ama sa hikaeme
[AH-mah sah hee-kah-eh-meh]
💬 Usage Tip: 控えめ means "on the modest side" and attaches to nouns. You'll see 塩分控えめ "low salt" on food labels.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Picking a less-sweet treat for an in-law who's cutting back on sugar is exactly the kind of thoughtfulness that gets noticed and appreciated.
Phrase Breakdown
甘
ama
[AH-mah]
sweet
Stem of 甘い, used to build nouns.
甘口のカレーが好きです。
I like mild sweet curry.
さ
sa
[sah]
-ness; quality
A suffix that turns an adjective idea into a noun, like strength or degree.
強さを見ます。
Check the strength.
控えめ
hikaeme
[hee-kah-eh-meh]
light; moderate
Means reduced, mild, or kept low.
味は控えめが好きです。
I like milder flavors.
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