Use ~やすい to express that an action is easy or that something has a tendency to occur.
~やすい in 30 Seconds
- Suffix
- Easy to do
- Tendency
Pronunciation Guide
- saying 'yasooi' instead of 'yasui'
Examples by Level
この本は読みやすいです。
This book is easy to read.
Verb stem + やすい
このパソコンは使いやすいです。
This computer is easy to use.
Verb stem + やすい
このセーターは着やすいです。
This sweater is easy to wear.
Verb stem + やすい
この靴は歩きやすいです。
These shoes are easy to walk in.
Verb stem + やすい
このペンは書きやすいです。
This pen is easy to write with.
Verb stem + やすい
この料理は食べやすいです。
This food is easy to eat.
Verb stem + やすい
この道は運転しやすいです。
This road is easy to drive on.
Verb stem + やすい
この問題は理解しやすいです。
This problem is easy to understand.
Verb stem + やすい
この本は読みやすいです。
This book is easy to read.
Verb stem + やすい = easy to do (e.g., 読む (yomu) -> 読み (yomi) + やすい)
この携帯電話は使いやすいですか？
Is this mobile phone easy to use?
Verb stem + やすい = easy to do (e.g., 使う (tsukau) -> 使い (tsukai) + やすい)
この靴はとても歩きやすいです。
These shoes are very easy to walk in.
Verb stem + やすい = easy to do (e.g., 歩く (aruku) -> 歩き (aruki) + やすい)
この料理は子供でも食べやすい味です。
This dish has a taste that is easy even for children to eat.
Verb stem + やすい = easy to do (e.g., 食べる (taberu) -> 食べ (tabe) + やすい)
このペンは書きやすいので、気に入っています。
I like this pen because it's easy to write with.
Verb stem + やすい = easy to do (e.g., 書く (kaku) -> 書き (kaki) + やすい)
彼はよく間違えやすい人です。
He is a person who often makes mistakes easily.
Verb stem + やすい = easy to do (e.g., 間違える (machigaeru) -> 間違え (machigae) + やすい)
この服は洗濯しやすいから、旅行にぴったりです。
These clothes are easy to wash, so they're perfect for travel.
Verb stem + やすい = easy to do (e.g., 洗濯する (sentaku suru) -> 洗濯し (sentaku shi) + やすい)
このパソコンは軽くて持ち運びやすいです。
This laptop is light and easy to carry.
Verb stem + やすい = easy to do (e.g., 持ち運ぶ (mochi hakobu) -> 持ち運び (mochi hakobi) + やすい)
この本は初心者にも読みやすい。
This book is easy for beginners to read.
Verb stem + やすい: 'easy to verb'
彼の説明はとても分かりやすかった。
His explanation was very easy to understand.
Verb stem + やすい: 'easy to verb'
このパソコンは操作しやすいので気に入っています。
I like this computer because it's easy to operate.
Verb stem + やすい: 'easy to verb'
この服は洗濯しやすいから、普段使いにぴったりだ。
These clothes are easy to wash, so they're perfect for everyday wear.
Verb stem + やすい: 'easy to verb'
この道は車が通りやすいから、気を付けてください。
This road is easy for cars to pass through, so please be careful.
Verb stem + やすい: 'easy to verb'
このペンは持ちやすいので、長時間書いても疲れない。
This pen is easy to hold, so I don't get tired even after writing for a long time.
Verb stem + やすい: 'easy to verb'
彼女は誰とでも話しやすい雰囲気を持っている。
She has an approachable atmosphere, making her easy to talk to anyone.
Verb stem + やすい: 'easy to verb'
この靴は歩きやすいようにデザインされている。
These shoes are designed to be easy to walk in.
Verb stem + やすい: 'easy to verb'
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsWe attach ~やすい to the stem of a verb (the ます stem). It means 'easy to do' or 'easy to be'. So, if something is eaten easily, you could use ~やすい.
That's a great question! 簡単 (kantan) means 'simple' or 'easy' as an adjective. It describes the inherent nature of something. For example, 簡単な問題 (kantan na mondai) means 'a simple problem'.
~やすい, on the other hand, means 'easy TO DO' or 'easy TO BE'. It focuses on the ease of an action or a state. So, 食べやすい (tabeyasui) means 'easy to eat'. You can't say 簡単食べます (kantan tabemasu).
Think of it this way: 簡単 (kantan) describes the thing itself, while ~やすい describes the ease of interacting with that thing through a verb.
Of course! Here are a few common ones:
- 食べやすい (tabeyasui): easy to eat. (e.g., このお菓子は小さいので食べやすいです - Kono okashi wa chiisai node tabeyasui desu. - This snack is small, so it's easy to eat.)
- 読みやすい (yomiyasui): easy to read. (e.g., この本は字が大きいので読みやすいです - Kono hon wa ji ga ookii node yomiyasui desu. - This book has large print, so it's easy to read.)
- 使いやすい (tsukaiyasui): easy to use. (e.g., このアプリは操作が簡単で使いやすいです - Kono apuri wa sousa ga kantan de tsukaiyasui desu. - This app is easy to operate and easy to use.)
- 分かりやすい (wakariyasui): easy to understand. (e.g., 先生の説明はいつも分かりやすいです - Sensei no setsumei wa itsumo wakariyasui desu. - The teacher's explanations are always easy to understand.)
The negative form of ~やすい is ~にくい (~nikui). It means 'difficult to do' or 'hard to be'.
For example, if 食べやすい (tabeyasui) means 'easy to eat', then 食べにくい (tabenikui) means 'difficult to eat'.
Just like ~やすい, you attach ~にくい to the stem of a verb.
That's a good observation! When you attach ~やすい to a verb stem, the resulting word behaves like an i-adjective. This means it can be conjugated like other i-adjectives.
For instance, 食べやすい (tabeyasui - easy to eat) becomes 食べやすくない (tabeyasukunai - not easy to eat) in the negative, and 食べやすかった (tabeyasukatta - was easy to eat) in the past tense.
Generally, yes, ~やすい can be used with most verbs to express the ease of an action. However, it's more natural and commonly used with verbs where the ease or difficulty of performing the action is a relevant characteristic.
For example, 'easy to eat' or 'easy to read' makes sense, but 'easy to go' (行きやすい) might sound a bit odd unless you're talking about a path that's literally easy to travel on.
No, it's not just for physical actions. It can also refer to the ease of mental processes or conditions.
For example, 分かりやすい (wakariyasui) means 'easy to understand', which is a mental process.
Another example is 忘れやすい (wasureyasui), meaning 'easy to forget' or 'prone to forgetting'.
Since ~やすい behaves like an i-adjective, you can change it to an adverb by replacing the final い (i) with く (ku).
So, 食べやすい (tabeyasui - easy to eat) becomes 食べやすく (tabeyasuku - easily eaten).
You would use this when modifying a verb that follows it. For example, 食べやすく切る (tabeyasuku kiru) means 'to cut easily to eat'.
Yes, just like with i-adjectives, you can add です (desu) after ~やすい to make it polite.
For example, 食べやすいです (tabeyasui desu) means 'it is easy to eat' in a polite way.
If you want to use the past polite form, it would be 食べやすかったです (tabeyasukatta desu).
A common mistake is trying to use it with nouns directly, or treating it like an adjective that modifies a noun (like 簡単 - kantan). Remember, ~やすい always attaches to a verb stem.
Another point is to ensure the context makes sense. While grammatically you can attach ~やすい to many verbs, think about whether 'easy to do X' is a natural or relevant concept for that particular verb in your sentence.
Test Yourself 18 questions
You want to say that a certain book is easy to read. How would you say it?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
この本は読みやすいです。
Your friend asks you about a new game. You find it easy to play. How do you respond?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
このゲームは遊びやすいです。
You are describing a new type of pen. You want to emphasize that it is easy to write with. What do you say?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
このペンは書きやすいです。
このかばんはどうですか？ (How is this bag?)
Read this passage:
このかばんは軽くて持ちやすいです。毎日使っています。
このかばんはどうですか？ (How is this bag?)
The passage states 'このかばんは軽くて持ちやすいです。' (This bag is light and easy to carry.)
The passage states 'このかばんは軽くて持ちやすいです。' (This bag is light and easy to carry.)
この道はどんな道ですか？ (What kind of road is this?)
Read this passage:
この道は広くて歩きやすいです。朝の散歩にぴったりです。
この道はどんな道ですか？ (What kind of road is this?)
The passage says 'この道は広くて歩きやすいです。' (This road is wide and easy to walk on.)
The passage says 'この道は広くて歩きやすいです。' (This road is wide and easy to walk on.)
このいすの特徴は何ですか？ (What is a feature of this chair?)
Read this passage:
このいすは座りやすいです。長時間座っても疲れません。
このいすの特徴は何ですか？ (What is a feature of this chair?)
The passage states 'このいすは座りやすいです。' (This chair is easy to sit on.)
The passage states 'このいすは座りやすいです。' (This chair is easy to sit on.)
You want to say that a certain book is easy to read. How would you say it using ~やすい?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
この本は読みやすいです。
Describe an action that is easy to do, using ~やすい. For example, 'easy to understand'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
この説明は分かりやすいです。
Imagine you are giving advice about a simple recipe. How would you say it's 'easy to make'?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
このレシピは作りやすいです。
このパソコンのどんな点が持ち運びやすいと説明されていますか？
Read this passage:
このパソコンは軽くて持ち運びやすいです。バッテリーも長持ちするので、旅行に持っていくのに便利です。インターネットもサクサク動きます。
このパソコンのどんな点が持ち運びやすいと説明されていますか？
文章の最初の部分で「軽くて持ち運びやすいです」と述べられています。
文章の最初の部分で「軽くて持ち運びやすいです」と述べられています。
この服のどんな点が毎日着るのに適していると述べられていますか？
Read this passage:
この服は洗濯しやすいので、毎日着るのにぴったりです。色も豊富で、どんな季節にも合わせやすいです。
この服のどんな点が毎日着るのに適していると述べられていますか？
「洗濯しやすいので、毎日着るのにぴったりです」という記述があります。
「洗濯しやすいので、毎日着るのにぴったりです」という記述があります。
このスマートフォンのどんな点が「見やすい」とされていますか？
Read this passage:
この新しいスマートフォンは、画面が大きくて文字が見やすいです。操作もシンプルなので、初めてスマートフォンを使う人にもおすすめです。
このスマートフォンのどんな点が「見やすい」とされていますか？
「画面が大きくて文字が見やすいです」と書かれています。
「画面が大きくて文字が見やすいです」と書かれています。
「〜やすい」は動詞の連用形に接続して「〜するのが簡単だ」という意味を表します。
「操作しやすい」で「操作するのが簡単だ」という意味になります。
「書きやすい」で「書くのが簡単だ」という意味になります。
/ 18 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Use ~やすい to express that an action is easy or that something has a tendency to occur.
- Suffix
- Easy to do
- Tendency
Related Content
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もう少し
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じゅうしょ
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住所
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～後
A2after
目覚まし
B1Alarm clock. A clock that makes a noise to wake someone up.
目覚まし時計
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ひとりで
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~のに
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ごぜん
A2Morning (a.m.).
煩い
B1Noisy; annoying.
