謙虚 is the most common way to say humble or modest in Japanese without a derogatory meaning (some other words suggest weakness, but this version holds a better humble meaning).

In Japanese, the first Kanji means self-effacing, humble oneself, and modesty. The second means void or emptiness.

See Also:  Moderation

謙遜 can also be translated as being modest, humble, or unpretentious.

Being humble is considering others to be as important as yourself. You are thoughtful of their needs and willing to be of service. You don't expect others or yourself to be perfect. You learn from your mistakes. When you do great things, humility reminds you to be thankful instead of boastful.

This Humility title is also used as one of the 8 key concepts of Tang Soo Do. Often romanized as “Kyum Son.”

Also sometimes used in Japanese to express humility with an essence of modesty.

See Also:  Modesty | Humility

謙虛 can also be translated as humbleness or humility.

In Chinese and Korean, the first character means “modest.” The second means “empty.” Together these characters reinforce the ideas of modesty and being empty of ego.

In Japan, they tend to use a slightly-simplified version of the second Kanji for this word. It also happens to be an alternate/simplified version used in China too. If you want to order the modern Japanese/simplified version, just click in the Kanji image shown to the right, instead of the button above.

See Also:  Moderation

Depending on the context, 謙遜 can be translated as modesty, humbleness, or humility.

The first character means modesty, while the second means yielding. Together, it could be stated as “yielding modesty.”

See Also:  Chastity | Prudence | Moderation