When you want to express that something is difficult to do, you can use the suffix ～にくい (nikui) attached to the stem of a verb. For example, if you want to say something is difficult to read, you would take the verb 読む (yomu - to read), remove the ～ます (masu) ending to get the stem 読み (yomi), and then add ～にくい, making it 読みにくい (yominikui).
This structure is very versatile and can be used with many different verbs to describe various challenges. It literally means "difficult to verb." For instance, if a pen is hard to write with, you could say 書きにくい (kakinikui), from the verb 書く (kaku - to write). It's a handy way to describe something that presents a practical difficulty in execution.
Wusstest du?
This suffix emphasizes the inherent difficulty of an action or state, rather than a temporary or external obstruction. It's often contrasted with ～づらい (-zurai), which can imply a more personal or emotional difficulty.
Beispiele nach Niveau
この本は読みにくい。
This book is difficult to read.
読みにくい (yomi nikui) - difficult to read
このペンは書きにくい。
This pen is difficult to write with.
書きにくい (kaki nikui) - difficult to write
この食べ物は食べにくい。
This food is difficult to eat.
食べにくい (tabe nikui) - difficult to eat
この道は歩きにくい。
This road is difficult to walk on.
歩きにくい (aruki nikui) - difficult to walk
この靴は履きにくい。
These shoes are difficult to put on.
履きにくい (haki nikui) - difficult to wear/put on (shoes, pants)
この服は着にくい。
These clothes are difficult to wear.
着にくい (ki nikui) - difficult to wear/put on (tops, dresses)
この説明は分かりにくい。
This explanation is difficult to understand.
分かりにくい (wakari nikui) - difficult to understand
このパソコンは使いにくい。
This computer is difficult to use.
使いにくい (tsukai nikui) - difficult to use
この本は字が小さすぎて読みにくい。
This book is too difficult to read because the font is too small.
Verb stem + にくい for 'difficult to do'.
このパンは硬くて食べにくい。
This bread is hard and difficult to eat.
Verb stem + にくい
この道は車が多くて渡りにくい。
This road is difficult to cross because there are many cars.
Verb stem + にくい
彼の話は複雑すぎて理解しにくい。
His story is too complex and difficult to understand.
Verb stem + にくい
この服はデザインが派手すぎて着にくい。
These clothes are too flashy in design and difficult to wear.
Verb stem + にくい
このペンはインクが出なくて書きにくい。
This pen doesn't produce ink and is difficult to write with.
Verb stem + にくい
この箱は大きすぎて持ちにくい。
This box is too big and difficult to carry.
Verb stem + にくい
この問題は難しすぎて解きにくい。
This problem is too difficult to solve.
Verb stem + にくい
Wortherkunft
Native Japanese suffix
Ursprüngliche Bedeutung: Hard to do, difficult to do, awkward to do
JaponicKultureller Kontext
When describing things as difficult, Japanese culture often values politeness and indirectness. Using ～にくい can be a straightforward way to express difficulty, but the context and the level of formality are always important. It's a common and versatile suffix used in everyday conversation to describe the inherent nature of objects or actions.
Teste dich selbst 42 Fragen
この本は小さい字で書いてあるから、___。
The sentence says the book is written in small letters, so it is difficult to read. 読みにくい (yominikui) means 'difficult to read'.
この料理は辛すぎて、ちょっと___。
The dish is too spicy, so it is difficult to eat. 食べにくい (tabenikui) means 'difficult to eat'.
この道は暗くて、とても___。
The road is dark, so it is very difficult to walk. 歩きにくい (arukinikui) means 'difficult to walk'.
このペンはインクが出なくて、___。
The pen has no ink, so it is difficult to write. 書いにくい (kainikui) means 'difficult to write'.
このかばんは大きすぎて、___。
The bag is too big, so it is difficult to carry. 持ちにくい (mochinikui) means 'difficult to carry'.
この椅子は硬くて、___。
The chair is hard, so it is difficult to sit. 座りにくい (suwarinikui) means 'difficult to sit'.
This is difficult to eat.
This book is difficult to read.
Those kanji are difficult to write, aren't they?
Read this aloud:
これは飲みやすいです。
Focus: のみやすい (nomiyasui)
Du hast gesagt:
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Read this aloud:
このパソコンは使いにくい。
Focus: つかいにくい (tsukainikui)
Du hast gesagt:
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Read this aloud:
この道は歩きにくい。
Focus: あるきにくい (arukinikui)
Du hast gesagt:
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You want to say that chopsticks are difficult to use. How would you say this in Japanese, using ～にくい?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
箸は使いにくいです。
Your friend asks why you don't like a certain food. You want to say it's hard to eat. How would you respond using ～にくい?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
この食べ物は食べにくいです。
You are trying to read a book with very small print. How would you express that it's difficult to read, using ～にくい?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
この本は読みにくいです。
Why is the bag difficult to use?
Read this passage:
このかばんは重いから、持ちにくいですね。小さいので、たくさん入りません。
Why is the bag difficult to use?
The passage states 「このかばんは重いから、持ちにくいですね。」which means 'This bag is heavy, so it's difficult to carry.'
The passage states 「このかばんは重いから、持ちにくいですね。」which means 'This bag is heavy, so it's difficult to carry.'
What is the problem with the shoes?
Read this passage:
この靴は小さくて歩きにくいです。新しい靴を買いたいです。
What is the problem with the shoes?
The passage says 「この靴は小さくて歩きにくいです。」meaning 'These shoes are small and difficult to walk in.'
The passage says 「この靴は小さくて歩きにくいです。」meaning 'These shoes are small and difficult to walk in.'
Why is the pen difficult to use?
Read this passage:
このペンは書きにくいです。インクが出ません。
Why is the pen difficult to use?
The passage states 「インクが出ません。」which means 'The ink doesn't come out.' This makes it difficult to write.
The passage states 「インクが出ません。」which means 'The ink doesn't come out.' This makes it difficult to write.
この本は字が小さすぎて、とても読み___。
The small font size makes the book 'difficult to read'.
このパソコンは操作が複雑で、私には使い___。
The complex operations make this computer 'difficult to use' for me.
この道はいつも渋滞しているので、運転し___。
The constant traffic jams make this road 'difficult to drive' on.
彼の言っていることは抽象的すぎて、理解し___。
What he's saying is too abstract, making it 'difficult to understand'.
この問題は計算が多すぎて、間違い___。
This problem has too many calculations, making it 'easy to make mistakes'. This question is designed to test the understanding of the nuance between -にくい and -やすい, though the focus is on the given grammar point.
この靴は滑りやすくて、雪の日には歩き___。
These shoes are slippery, making them 'difficult to walk' in on snowy days.
この本は漢字が多くて、私には少し___です。
〜にくい (nikui) means 'difficult to do'. So, 読みにくい (yominikui) means 'difficult to read'. The sentence states the book has many kanji, making it hard to read.
このペンはインクが出なくて、とても___。
書きにくい (kakinikui) means 'difficult to write with'. If the pen's ink isn't coming out, it's difficult to write with it.
彼女はとても早口なので、話が___。
聞きにくい (kikinikui) means 'difficult to hear/understand'. If someone speaks very fast, their speech can be difficult to understand.
この問題は複雑すぎて、理解しにくいです。 (This problem is too complex, so it's difficult to understand.)
理解しにくい (rikai shinikui) correctly uses 〜にくい to express difficulty in understanding due to complexity.
新しい靴はまだ硬くて、歩きやすいです。 (My new shoes are still stiff, so they are easy to walk in.)
If new shoes are stiff, they would be 歩きにくい (arukinikui - difficult to walk in), not 歩きやすい (arukiyasui - easy to walk in).
この椅子は座りにくいですが、長時間座っても疲れません。 (This chair is difficult to sit on, but I don't get tired even if I sit for a long time.)
If a chair is 座りにくい (suwarinikui - difficult to sit on), it would logically cause fatigue rather than prevent it after a long time.
You are trying to assemble a new piece of furniture, but the instructions are incredibly complicated. Describe your frustration using a sentence with ～にくい.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
この説明書は理解しにくくて、家具の組み立てが全然進まない。
You're at a crowded train station, and it's hard to hear your friend over the noise. Write a sentence expressing this difficulty using ～にくい.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
駅が騒がしすぎて、友達の声が聞きにくい。
You've been trying to learn a new skill, but it's proving to be very challenging. Write a sentence about this difficulty using ～にくい.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
この新しいスキルは、なかなか習得しにくい。
このカフェで、筆者が長居できなかった主な理由は何ですか？
Read this passage:
先日、新しいカフェに行きました。店内はとてもおしゃれで雰囲気も良かったのですが、椅子が硬くて座りにくかったので、長居はできませんでした。コーヒーは美味しかったですが、座り心地が悪いとリラックスできませんね。
このカフェで、筆者が長居できなかった主な理由は何ですか？
文章中に「椅子が硬くて座りにくかったので、長居はできませんでした」とあります。
文章中に「椅子が硬くて座りにくかったので、長居はできませんでした」とあります。
このソフトウェアについて、筆者が懸念している点は何ですか？
Read this passage:
このソフトウェアは多機能で非常に便利ですが、インターフェースが複雑で初心者には使いにくいかもしれません。慣れれば問題ありませんが、最初のうちは戸惑うことが多いでしょう。
このソフトウェアについて、筆者が懸念している点は何ですか？
文章中に「インターフェースが複雑で初心者には使いにくいかもしれません」とあります。
文章中に「インターフェースが複雑で初心者には使いにくいかもしれません」とあります。
筆者が引っ越したアパートの不便な点は何ですか？
Read this passage:
最近、引っ越したアパートは駅から近くて便利なのですが、窓からの日当たりが悪く、洗濯物が乾きにくいのが悩みです。部屋の中も昼間でも少し薄暗いので、植物を育てるのも難しそうです。
筆者が引っ越したアパートの不便な点は何ですか？
文章中に「洗濯物が乾きにくいのが悩みです」とあります。
文章中に「洗濯物が乾きにくいのが悩みです」とあります。
The particles and verb endings connect to form a sentence meaning 'This book is difficult to read.'
This sentence means 'This character is very difficult to write.'
This sentence translates to 'His stories are sometimes difficult to understand.'
/ 42 correct
Perfect score!
Verwandte Inhalte
Dieses Wort in anderen Sprachen
Ähnliche Regeln
Mehr general Wörter
いくつか
B1An unspecified small number of things; some, a few.
ちょっと
A2A little; a moment; a bit. Small amount or short time.
すこし
A2A little; a few.
さっき
A2A little while ago; a short time past.
能力
A1Nouryoku refers to the mental or physical power, skill, or capacity required to perform a specific task or function. It can describe both innate talent and skills acquired through learning and practice.
異常
A1A word used to describe something that deviates from the normal state, standard, or expected pattern. It often implies a problem, malfunction, or an extraordinary occurrence that requires attention or investigation.
～について
A2About, concerning; indicates topic.
〜について
B1About, concerning; on the subject of.
～ぐらい
A2about, approximately
ぐらい
A2About; approximately; to the extent of.
