JLPT N4 grammar
〜にくい / 〜づらい — Meaning & Examples
Hard to do. にくい = neutral difficulty; づらい = awkward or uncomfortable for me. 言いにくい vs 言いづらい.
〜やすい and 〜にくい — Easy and Hard to Do
Attach these to a verb stem to say something is easy or hard to do.
Formation: ます-stem + やすい / にくい
食べます → 食べやすい = easy to eat
読みます → 読みにくい = hard to read
They behave as い-adjectives — so they conjugate like any other:
読みやすい → 読みやすくない → 読みやすかった
Examples:
この本は読みやすいです。
= This book is easy to read.
この字は小さくて読みにくい。
= This writing is small and hard to read.
このスプーンは使いやすいですね。
= This spoon is easy to use, isn't it?
雨の日は道が滑りやすいので、気をつけて。
= Roads get slippery on rainy days, so be careful.
A useful subtlety: 〜やすい can also mean "prone to" — not just convenient, but tends to happen:
このシャツは汚れやすい。 = This shirt gets dirty easily.
彼は疲れやすい。 = He tires easily.
〜にくい vs 〜づらい: づらい implies it is painful or awkward for me, while にくい is neutral difficulty.
言いにくい = hard to say (objectively)
言いづらい = hard for me to bring up (emotionally awkward)
Practice questions
Try this question on 〜にくい / 〜づらい. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. The difference between 言いにくい and 言いづらい is?
- No difference
- にくい = neutral difficulty; づらい = emotionally awkward for me
- にくい is casual
- づらい is only for verbs
Show answer
Answer: にくい = neutral difficulty; づらい = emotionally awkward for me
にくい states objective difficulty. づらい implies it is painful or awkward for the speaker to do.
Practise 〜にくい / 〜づらい in the free app
This point is part of the “⚖️ Easy, Hard, Too Much — 〜やすい・〜にくい・〜すぎる・〜ながら” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N4 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Related N4 grammar points
From the same lesson: ⚖️ Easy, Hard, Too Much — 〜やすい・〜にくい・〜すぎる・〜ながら
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜にくい / 〜づらい mean?
Hard to do. にくい = neutral difficulty; づらい = awkward or uncomfortable for me. 言いにくい vs 言いづらい.
Is 〜にくい / 〜づらい on the JLPT N4 test?
〜にくい / 〜づらい is taught in the JLPT N4 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “⚖️ Easy, Hard, Too Much — 〜やすい・〜にくい・〜すぎる・〜ながら”), 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 〜にくい / 〜づらい?
Open the “⚖️ Easy, Hard, Too Much — 〜やすい・〜にくい・〜すぎる・〜ながら” 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 N4 mock exams, with no ads.