na-adjective, noun
dainty; delicate; slender; slim and elegant
Describes a person's build or limbs as slender and graceful, often with a positive or aesthetic nuance.
彼女は華奢な体つきをしている。
She has a slender, delicate figure.
華奢な指に指輪がよく似合う。
The ring looks great on her slender fingers.
na-adjective, noun
Used for objects, furniture, or structures that look easily breakable or lack sturdiness. Can also describe a person's health as frail.
この机は華奢で、重いものを置くと壊れそうだ。
This desk is so flimsy it looks like it would break if you put something heavy on it.
祖母は最近華奢になって、歩く
My grandmother has become frail lately and seems to have trouble even walking.
Rarely used kanji form.
The kanji 華 (flower, splendor) and 奢 (luxury, extravagance) combine to suggest a delicate, refined beauty. The reading きゃしゃ is a sound shift from an earlier form; the exact derivation is uncertain.