A1 Expression 중립

とても難しい

totemo muzukashii

Very difficult

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use {とても難しい|とてもむずかしい} to describe any task, question, or situation that requires significant effort or is challenging to solve.

  • Means: Very difficult or challenging.
  • Used in: Describing homework, complex tasks, or hard situations.
  • Don't confuse: {難しい|むずかしい} (difficult) with {易しい|やさしい} (easy).
Sweat drop + Puzzled face + 'Too hard' = {とても難しい|とてもむずかしい}

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means 'very hard'. You use it when you cannot do something easily. It is very useful for beginners.
Use this to describe tasks or situations that are challenging. It is a common way to express that something is not easy for you to complete.
This expression is a versatile way to indicate high difficulty. It can be used for both concrete tasks and abstract social situations where a resolution is hard to find.
Beyond simple difficulty, this phrase functions as a pragmatic tool for indirect refusal in professional settings, signaling that a request is beyond current operational capacity.
The phrase serves as a scalar adjective modifying the difficulty of a proposition. Its usage often reflects the Japanese cultural preference for indirectness, acting as a buffer against blunt rejection.
From a cognitive linguistics perspective, this phrase maps the concept of 'difficulty' onto a scalar intensity. It is a fundamental lexical item that demonstrates the intersection of grammatical adjective modification and sociolinguistic pragmatics in Japanese.

뜻

To express that something is very hard or challenging.

🌍

문화적 배경

Used to avoid saying 'no' directly. Used to show respect for the complexity of a subject. Used to signal a need for more resources.

💡

Polite Refusal

Use this phrase to politely decline requests.

⚠️

Don't be rude

Avoid saying this to people directly.

뜻

To express that something is very hard or challenging.

💡

Polite Refusal

Use this phrase to politely decline requests.

⚠️

Don't be rude

Avoid saying this to people directly.

🎯

Emphasize

Add 'hontou ni' for extra emphasis.

셀프 테스트

Select the correct form.

This is very difficult.

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: とても難しいです

Standard i-adjective + desu.

Fill in the blank.

日本語の漢字は____。

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: とても難しい

Casual sentence ending.

Match the meaning.

Match the phrase to its meaning.

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: とても難しい -> Very hard

Muzukashii means difficult.

Complete the dialogue.

A: Can you do this? B: ____.

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: いいえ、とても難しいです

Appropriate response to a request.

🎉 점수: /4

시각 학습 자료

자주 묻는 질문

8 질문

Only if you mean they are hard to deal with.

It is neutral.

Change to 'muzukashikatta'.

No, 'muri' is impossible.

Yes, it is very common.

Use 'konnan desu'.

Yes, very frequently.

Yes, 難しい.

관련 표현

🔗

難しい

builds on

Difficult

🔗

簡単

contrast

Easy

🔗

無理

similar

Impossible

어디서 쓸까?

📚

Classroom

Teacher: この問題はどうですか？

Student: {とても難しい|とてもむずかしい}です。

neutral
💼

Work Office

Boss: 今日中に終わる？

Employee: それは{とても難しい|とてもむずかしい}です。

formal
🎮

Gaming

Friend: このボス倒せた？

You: {とても難しい|とてもむずかしい}！

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Too-temo' (too much) 'Muz-kashii' (must cash it). It's too much, I must cash it out because it's too hard!

Visual Association

Imagine a student staring at a giant, mountain-sized math book. They are sweating and saying '{とても難しい|とてもむずかしい}!'

Rhyme

It's hard to see, it's hard to be, {とても難しい|とてもむずかしい}!

Story

Ken tried to climb a mountain. He looked at the steep cliff. He sighed and said, '{とても難しい|とてもむずかしい}!' He decided to go home instead.

Word Web

難しいとても大変簡単問題無理

챌린지

Try to describe 3 things in your room as '{とても難しい|とてもむずかしい}' today.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Muy difícil

Japanese uses it more often as a polite refusal.

French high

Très difficile

French doesn't use it as a social buffer as much as Japanese.

German high

Sehr schwierig

German is more direct; Japanese is softer.

Japanese self

とても難しい

N/A

Arabic moderate

صعب جداً (Sa'b jiddan)

Word order is reversed.

Easily Confused

とても難しい 대 難しい vs 易しい

Opposite meanings.

Muzukashii is hard, Yasashii is easy.

とても難しい 대 難しい vs 無理

Both imply difficulty.

Muzukashii = hard, Muri = impossible.

とても難しい 대 難しい vs 大変

Both used for tasks.

Muzukashii = complex, Taihen = tiring/tough.

자주 묻는 질문 (8)

Only if you mean they are hard to deal with.

It is neutral.

Change to 'muzukashikatta'.

No, 'muri' is impossible.

Yes, it is very common.

Use 'konnan desu'.

Yes, very frequently.

Yes, 難しい.

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