Kawaii is generally translated as "Adorable", when in fact, it can also mean precious. Often, when Japanese media is translated into English, translators make the common mistake of always translating kawaii as "cute". It's actually quite easy to tell when the mistake has occurred, such as characters saying "Stay away from my cute student!" Or "Where is my cute Alice?!"

So, next time you hear the word kawaii, remember they're basically calling something precious.