![Joy reading easily [Yasui] vs. Joy struggling to read [Nikui]Joy reading easily [Yasui] vs. Joy struggling to read [Nikui]](https://jplt-dialogplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Yasui.png)
Joy reading easily [Yasui] vs. Joy struggling to read [Nikui]
“This pen is easy to write with.” “This meat is hard to eat.”
In Japanese, you can combine verbs with 〜やすい (Yasui) and 〜にくい (Nikui) to express “easy” or “hard” to do something. Let’s learn this useful N4 grammar!
🗣 Conversation Scene
Joy bought a new pen and is showing it to Ken.
Joy
ケンさん、見てください！新しいペンを買いました。
とても 書きやすい ですよ。
(Ken, look! I bought a new pen. It is very “easy to write” with.)
とても 書きやすい ですよ。
(Ken, look! I bought a new pen. It is very “easy to write” with.)
Ken
いいですね。私のペンはインクが古（ふる）くて、書きにくい です…。
(That’s nice. My pen has old ink, so it is “hard to write” with…)
(That’s nice. My pen has old ink, so it is “hard to write” with…)
💡 Explanation
To make these forms, use the Verb Stem (Masu-form without Masu).
Point 1: 〜やすい (Yasui) = Easy to …
Verb Stem + Yasui. It means something is easy to do, or likely to happen.
- この靴（くつ）は 歩（ある）きやすい です。
(These shoes are easy to walk in.) - 先生（せんせい）の説明（せつめい）は 分（わ）かりやすい です。
(The teacher’s explanation is easy to understand.)
Point 2: 〜にくい (Nikui) = Hard to …
Verb Stem + Nikui. It means something is difficult to do, or unlikely to happen.
- 箸（はし）は 食（た）べにくい です。
(Chopsticks are hard to eat with.) - この漢字（かんじ）は 覚（おぼ）えにくい です。
(This Kanji is hard to memorize.)
📊 Comparison / Common Mistake
🚧 Joy’s Mistake
❌ Wrong: この本（ほん）は 読むのが 難しい です。
(Grammatically correct, but long.)
✅ Better: この本（ほん）は 読（よ）みにくい です。
(Using “Nikui” is more natural for describing the quality of the book.)
🔥 Practice Quiz
Tap to check the answer!
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