難い・にくい (i nikui)

Meaning & usage

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.

Example sentences 8

1. このめずらしい切手きっては手てにはいりにくいんだよ。

   This rare stamp is hard to come by.

2. 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.

3. それは答えにくい質問だな。

   That's a hard question to answer.

4. あなたの質問は答えにくい。

   Your question is hard to answer.

5. この質問は答えにくいな。

   This question is difficult to answer.

6. 口論がどうして起きたのかわかりにくいことが時々ある。

   Sometimes it is hard to tell how a quarrel comes about.

7. ペットのいない生活なんて考えにくい。

   It's hard to imagine a life without pets.

8. 木は高ければ高いほど登りにくい。

   The taller a tree is, the harder it is to climb.