JLPT N4 Elementary
難い
「にくい」
Suffix indicating an action is difficult to perform, distinguishing between physical and emotional difficulty.
Readings
Other forms
〜にくい Common hiragana form for physical difficulty.
〜がたい More formal and literary, often with kanji, for emotional/conceptual difficulty.
1 Suffix (functions as an I-adjective)
Hard to do (Physical Difficulty)
Describes an action that is objectively difficult to perform due to physical characteristics or external circumstances.
Example
この 肉 は 硬く て 食べ にくい です 。
This meat is tough and hard to eat.
3 more examples in the
mobile app
2 Suffix (functions as an I-adjective)
Hard to do (Emotional/Conceptual Difficulty)
Indicates that an action is psychologically resistant or virtually impossible to accept, rather than physically difficult.
Usage notes & examples
available in the
mobile app