Genki Grammar #119: Mastering -yasui / -nikui

Introduction

In Japanese, you can describe actions that are “easy to do” or “hard to do” by adding specific suffixes to verbs. Adding –やすい (-yasui) to a verb stem makes it mean “easy to do,” while –にくい (-nikui) makes it mean “hard to do.” This is a helpful structure for talking about the ease or difficulty of various activities in everyday life. In this post, we’ll explore how to use –やすい and –にくい with simple examples.

What It Means

1. –やすい (-yasui): This suffix means “easy to do.” Add it to the stem of a verb to describe actions that are simple or comfortable to perform.
   • Example: 使いやすい (tsukaiyasui) – “easy to use”
2. –にくい (-nikui): This suffix means “hard to do.” Add it to the verb stem to describe actions that are challenging or uncomfortable to perform.
   • Example: 食べにくい (tabenikui) – “hard to eat”

Both –やすい and –にくい create adjectives that describe the ease or difficulty of actions.

When to Use It

Use –やすい and –にくい when you want to talk about how easy or difficult something is to do, especially from a psychological or practical perspective. These suffixes are often used with places, tools, or actions to describe how manageable or challenging they are.

Examples

Here are some examples to help you understand how –やすい and –にくい work in sentences.

1. この電子レンジは使いやすいです (Kono denshi renji wa tsukaiyasui desu)
   This microwave oven is easy to use.
   • Verb: 使う (tsukau) – “to use”
   • 使いやすい (tsukaiyasui) means “easy to use.”
2. この本は読みやすかったです (Kono hon wa yomiyasukatta desu)
   This book was easy to read.
   • Verb: 読む (yomu) – “to read”
   • 読みやすかった (yomiyasukatta) is the past tense of “easy to read.”
3. 骨が多いので、魚は食べにくいです (Hone ga ooi node, sakana wa tabenikui desu)
   Fish are hard to eat, because they have many bones.
   • Verb: 食べる (taberu) – “to eat”
   • 食べにくい (tabenikui) means “hard to eat.”
4. この町はとても住みやすいです (Kono machi wa totemo sumiyasui desu)
   This town is quite livable.
   • Verb: 住む (sumu) – “to live”
   • 住みやすい (sumiyasui) means “easy to live in” or “livable.”
5. この靴は歩きにくいです (Kono kutsu wa arukinukui desu)
   These shoes are not comfortable to walk in.
   • Verb: 歩く (aruku) – “to walk”
   • 歩きにくい (arukinukui) means “hard to walk in.”

Notes

• Avoiding Misinterpretation with やすい: Keep in mind that やすい by itself means “cheap” in Japanese, not “easy.” For “easy,” use やさしい (yasashii) instead. However, –やすい attached to a verb stem does mean “easy to do.”
• Psychological Focus: –やすい and –にくい are best used to describe the ease or difficulty of actions from a personal or psychological perspective. This differs from more objective descriptions of difficulty:
  • 漢字は覚えにくい (Kanji wa oboenikui) – Kanji are hard to memorize. (suggests personal difficulty)
  • 漢字を覚えるのは難しい (Kanji o oboeru no wa muzukashii) – It is hard to memorize kanji. (implies complexity or general challenge)

Conclusion

Using –やすい and –にくい is a great way to describe actions in terms of ease or difficulty. This structure is practical for talking about everyday situations and adds depth to your Japanese expressions. With some practice, you’ll find yourself naturally using –やすい and –にくい to describe everything from books that are easy to read to food that’s hard to eat.

Recommended Resources

For a deeper understanding of -yasui and -nikui, I recommend A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar. This book explains each suffix separately under the entries -yasui and -nikui, covering how to use them to express ease and difficulty in actions. If you’re interested in exploring these grammar points further and seeing more examples, this book is an excellent resource for enhancing your knowledge of Japanese adjectives and expressions.