LEARN + JAPANESE / Note 143 JLPT N4
Easy or Hard To (やすい・にくい)
やすい (easy to) and にくい (hard to) attach to a verb’s stem and turn it into an い-adjective describing how easy or difficult that action is to do.
Kanji are hard to memorize.
My classmates are easy to talk to.
In Real Life
覚える becomes 覚えやすい or 覚えにくい, 話す becomes 話しやすい or 話しにくい, both built on the same verb stem you’ve used for たい, すぎる, and ながら. Once attached, they conjugate exactly like any other い-adjective, やすくない, やすかった, にくくなかった.
Between a pen and a ballpoint pen, which do you think is easier to write with?
Between this flower and that one, which do you think is easier to grow?
In Real Life
どちらの方が〜と思いますか, built on やすい or にくい, is a natural way to ask someone to compare two options based on ease or difficulty, common when shopping or choosing between similar things.
Do you have an umbrella that doesn't break easily?
In Real Life
Xありませんか built on にくい is a common way to ask a shop clerk for a durable or convenient version of something, “isn’t there one that’s hard to break,” effectively asking for the sturdiest option.
Vocabulary
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| natto | |
| subway | |
| to wake up | |
| to be able to hear | |
| ballpoint pen | |
| sneakers | |
| sandals | |
| to grow, raise | |
| digital clock | |
| analog clock | |
| to break | |
| umbrella | |
| to sit | |
| chair | |
| to get dirty | |
| curtain | |
| easy to handle | |
| easy to understand | |
| durability | |
| characteristic |