How to tell them apart
やすい says the action is easy to perform or happens readily, while にくい says it is hard to perform or does not happen readily. The choice depends on whether the verb stem describes something that goes smoothly or meets resistance. Swapping them flips the meaning entirely: 覚えやすい means easy to remember, 覚えにくい means hard to remember, so picking the wrong one states the opposite of what you intend.
- 易い・やすい Use やすい when the action is easy to do or happens readily.
- 難い・にくい Use にくい when the action is hard to do or does not happen readily.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| 易い・やすい i yasui | Prone to, liable to, easily done | N4 |
| 難い・にくい i nikui | Difficult to do | N4 |
易い・やすい i yasui
Prone to, liable to, easily done
やすい attaches to the masu-stem of a verb to say that something happens easily or tends to happen, as in つきやすい (catches fire easily). It is often used for warnings or general tendencies, and conjugates like an i-adjective.
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木の家は火がつきやすい。
Wooden houses catch fire easily.
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足元に注意して下さい。床がすべりやすいから。
Watch your step. The floor is slippery.
難い・にくい i nikui
Difficult to do
難い (にくい) attaches to a verb stem to say that doing that action is difficult or awkward. It is used with verbs like 入る, 言う and 答える, and often describes something that is hard to do in practice rather than physically impossible.
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このめずらしい切手は手にはいりにくいんだよ。
This rare stamp is hard to come by.
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ちょっと言いにくい話なんだけど。
I wish I didn't have to tell you this.
易い・やすい and 難い・にくい are both JLPT N4 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side on meanings, usage and example sentences, so you can tell them apart.