JLPT N1 grammar
〜にかたくない — Meaning & Examples
"Easy to imagine" — almost always 想像にかたくない or 察するにかたくない. Treat as fixed vocabulary.
〜にかたくない — "Easy to Imagine"
にかたくない is a fixed, formal expression meaning "not difficult to..." — almost always paired with 想像する or 察する.
Pattern: [verb dictionary form] + にかたくない
（overwhelmingly common as: 想像にかたくない／察するにかたくない）
彼の悲しみは想像にかたくない。
= His sorrow is easy to imagine.
長年の苦労は察するにかたくない。
= It's not hard to guess the hardship of all those years.
両親の心配は想像にかたくない。
= It's easy to imagine how worried his parents were.
Treat as vocabulary: In practice, にかたくない appears almost exclusively as 想像にかたくない or 察するにかたくない — memorise these two phrases rather than trying to build new sentences freely.
Key feeling: "You don't need me to spell it out — anyone can picture it."
Practice questions
Try these 2 questions on 〜にかたくない. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. 彼の悲しみは想像にかたくない。 means?
- His sorrow is impossible to imagine
- Nobody imagines his sorrow
- He shows no sorrow
- His sorrow is easy to imagine
Show answer
Answer: His sorrow is easy to imagine
想像にかたくない = easy to imagine — a fixed, formal set phrase almost always paired with 想像する or 察する.
2. Which two verbs does にかたくない overwhelmingly pair with?
- 想像する・察する (souzou suru / sassuru)
- 見る・聞く (miru / kiku)
- 言う・書く (iu / kaku)
- 行く・来る (iku / kuru)
Show answer
Answer: 想像する・察する (souzou suru / sassuru)
にかたくない appears almost exclusively as 想像にかたくない or 察するにかたくない — best memorised as fixed phrases.
Practise 〜にかたくない in the free app
This point is part of the “Limits & Restriction — をおいて他にない・にたえない・にかたくない・までもない” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N1 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Related N1 grammar points
From the same lesson: Limits & Restriction — をおいて他にない・にたえない・にかたくない・までもない
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜にかたくない mean?
"Easy to imagine" — almost always 想像にかたくない or 察するにかたくない. Treat as fixed vocabulary.
Is 〜にかたくない on the JLPT N1 test?
〜にかたくない is taught in the JLPT N1 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “Limits & Restriction — をおいて他にない・にたえない・にかたくない・までもない”), so it is a pattern learners at this level are expected to recognise. The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list, so treat this as a study guide rather than an official requirement.
How can I practise 〜にかたくない?
Open the “Limits & Restriction — をおいて他にない・にたえない・にかたくない・までもない” lesson in the free A Star Japanese app for iPhone and Android. It has examples, a quiz after every lesson, flashcards with spaced repetition and timed JLPT N1 mock exams, with no ads.