Bedeutung
A task or situation that sounds simple but is difficult in practice.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In cities like Delhi or Mumbai, this phrase is often used with a bit of 'attitude' (swag) to show that you are street-smart and cannot be easily fooled by big talk. In Indian offices, this is a polite way to push back against 'scope creep' or unrealistic deadlines without directly saying 'no' to a superior. In rural settings, this is often linked to the concept of 'Karni' (deeds). It's a moral judgment on someone's character if they only 'say' and never 'do'. Scriptwriters use this phrase to create relatable, 'common man' characters who are struggling against a system or a difficult situation.
The 'To' Trick
Add 'तो' (to) after 'कहना' to sound more like a native speaker. 'कहना तो आसान है' sounds much more natural in a debate.
Don't be too rude
If you say this to a superior, follow it up with a reason. Just saying 'कहना आसान है' can sound like you are calling them a liar or a fool.
Bedeutung
A task or situation that sounds simple but is difficult in practice.
The 'To' Trick
Add 'तो' (to) after 'कहना' to sound more like a native speaker. 'कहना तो आसान है' sounds much more natural in a debate.
Don't be too rude
If you say this to a superior, follow it up with a reason. Just saying 'कहना आसान है' can sound like you are calling them a liar or a fool.
The Full Version
If you want to sound wise or poetic, use the full version: 'कहना आसान है, करना मुश्किल' (Kehna aasaan hai, karna mushkil).
Teste dich selbst
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the idiom.
वज़न कम करना __________, पर रोज़ कसरत करना बहुत कठिन है।
The standard idiom is 'कहना आसान है'.
Which response is most appropriate for someone giving you unrealistic advice?
Friend: 'You should just buy a Ferrari!' You: '________'
'कहना आसान है' is the perfect pragmatic retort to unrealistic suggestions.
Complete the dialogue between a boss and an employee.
Boss: 'I need this report by 5 PM.' Employee: 'Sir, ________, but I have three other meetings today.'
Adding 'तो' adds a polite but firm emphasis that the task is harder than it sounds.
Match the situation to the correct nuance of the phrase.
Situation: A politician making a promise. Nuance: ________
In politics, the phrase is used to highlight the gap between promises and reality.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 Aufgabenवज़न कम करना __________, पर रोज़ कसरत करना बहुत कठिन है।
The standard idiom is 'कहना आसान है'.
Friend: 'You should just buy a Ferrari!' You: '________'
'कहना आसान है' is the perfect pragmatic retort to unrealistic suggestions.
Boss: 'I need this report by 5 PM.' Employee: 'Sir, ________, but I have three other meetings today.'
Adding 'तो' adds a polite but firm emphasis that the task is harder than it sounds.
Situation: A politician making a promise. Nuance: ________
In politics, the phrase is used to highlight the gap between promises and reality.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenYou can, but it's less common. 'Kehna' specifically refers to the content of the message, while 'Bolna' refers more to the act of speaking.
It can be. It's 'neutral' but carries a skeptical tone. Use it with friends freely, but be careful with bosses or elders.
Add 'तुम्हारे लिए' (tumhare liye) at the beginning: 'तुम्हारे लिए कहना आसान है।'
Yes, you could say 'यह कहना सरल प्रतीत होता है, किंतु कार्यान्वयन कठिन है' (It seems easy to say, but implementation is difficult), but that's very formal.
Yes: 'कहना आसान था' (It was easy to say). Use this when a plan has already failed.
There isn't a single idiom, but you could say 'करके दिखाओ' (Show by doing) as a challenge.
Absolutely. 'Mount Everest पर चढ़ना कहना आसान है' is a perfect sentence.
'Aasaan' is from Persian and is the standard word in conversational Hindi (Hindustani). 'Saral' is more academic.
Yes, especially in an argumentative essay to point out the flaws in a simple solution.
Yes, many Bollywood songs about the difficulties of love use variations of this phrase.
Verwandte Redewendungen
करना मुश्किल है
contrastDoing is difficult.
हवा में बातें करना
similarTo talk in the air / To talk without basis.
ज़मीन आसमान का अंतर
builds onDifference between earth and sky.
बड़ी-बड़ी बातें
similarBig talk.
