Japanese Grammar: ～やすい (Yasui) – Easy to Do / Prone to

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Japanese Grammar: ～やすい (Yasui) – Easy to Do / Prone to
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

‘Yasui’ is a suffix added to the stem of a verb to indicate that something is ‘easy to do’ or has a ‘tendency/prone to happen’.

🎯 Primary Function

Modifying a verb to express the ease of the action or a high probability of an occurrence.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb [Stem Form] + やすい
Not applicable (やすい itself conjugates as an i-adjective).
Not applicable.
Verb [Stem Form] + やすくない / やすくありません

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Commonly used in manuals, product reviews, and professional explanations.

😊 Informal Situations

Used to talk about preferences, daily experiences, or complaining about things that break easily.

✍️ Written Language

Common in instructions and descriptive texts.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Extremely frequent in daily conversation.

💡 Common Applications

Physical Ease
Used to describe tools or objects that are ergonomically or functionally easy to handle.
Example: この道具は使いやすい (This tool is easy to use).
Psychological/Cognitive Ease
Used when information is clear or simple to process mentally.
Example: 分かりやすい説明 (An easy-to-understand explanation).
Natural Tendency/Frequency
Used to describe innate characteristics or physical tendencies that occur often.
Example: 太りやすい (Prone to gaining weight).
📊
Frequency
High – Very common in daily life to describe product features or personal habits.
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N4
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Related Kanji

JLPT N4 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N4 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
このペンは書きやすいです。
Furigana: この ペン は かき やすい です。
Romaji: Kono pen wa kakiyasui desu.
English: This pen is very easy to write with.
Example #2
この本は字が大きくて読みやすい。
Furigana: この ほん は じ が おおきくて よみ やすい。
Romaji: Kono hon wa ji ga ookikute yomiyasui.
English: The font size in this book is large and easy to read.
Example #3
都会は生活しやすいです。
Furigana: とかい は せいかつ し やすい です。
Romaji: Tokai wa seikatsu shiyasui desu.
English: City life is very convenient and easy to live in.
Example #4
季節の変わり目は風邪をひきやすい。
Furigana: きせつ の かわりめ は かぜ を ひき やすい。
Romaji: Kisetsu no kawarime wa kaze o hikiyasui.
English: It is easy to catch a cold when the seasons change.
Example #5
ガラスは割れやすいので気を付けてください。
Furigana: ガラス は われ やすい ので き を つけて ください。
Romaji: Garasu wa wareyasui node ki o tsukete kudasai.
English: Please be careful because glass breaks easily.
Example #6
この地図はシンプルでとても分かりやすい。
Furigana: この ちず は シンプル で とても わかり やすい。
Romaji: Kono chizu wa shinpuru de totemo wakariyasui.
English: This map is simple and very easy to understand.
Example #7
この靴は軽くて歩きやすいです。
Furigana: この くつ は かるくて あるき やすい です。
Romaji: Kono kutsu wa karukute arukiyasui desu.
English: These shoes are light and easy to walk in.
Example #8
彼の説明ははっきりしていて聞きやすかった。
Furigana: かれ の せつめい は はっきり して いて きき やすかった。
Romaji: Kare no setsumei wa hakkiri shite ite kikiyasukatta.
English: His explanation was clear and easy to listen to.
Example #9
雨の日は事故が起きやすい。
Furigana: あめ の ひ は じこ が おき やすい。
Romaji: Ame no hi wa jiko ga okiyasui.
English: Accidents are prone to happen on rainy days.
Example #10
白い服は汚れやすいですね。
Furigana: しろい ふく は よごれ やすい です ね。
Romaji: Shiroi fuku wa yogoreyasui desu ne.
English: White clothes get dirty easily, don’t they?
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Propensity vs. Ease
It doesn’t just mean ‘effortless’; it can also mean that a natural process happens quickly or frequently.
Example: この服は乾きやすい。 (These clothes dry easily.)
Adjectival Conjugation
Remember that the tense is carried by the ‘yasui’ part, not the main verb.
Example: 読みやすかった (It was easy to read).

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ 飲むやすい (nomuyasui)
✅ 飲みやすい (nomiyasui)
You must use the Masu-stem of the verb (nomi), not the dictionary form (nomu).
❌ このペンに書きやすい。 (Kono pen ni kakiyasui)
✅ このペンは書きやすい。 (Kono pen wa kakiyasui)
When using ‘yasui’, the object (pen) often becomes the topic marked by ‘wa’ or ‘ga’.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral, but can be made polite by adding ‘desu’.
Social Situations: Often used in advertisements to highlight the ‘user-friendly’ nature of products.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

～やすい vs ～にくい
‘Yasui’ means easy to do, while ‘Nikui’ means difficult to do.
When to use: Use ‘Yasui’ for positive ease or negative tendencies; use ‘Nikui’ for physical or psychological resistance.
～やすい vs 易しい (yasashii)
‘Yasashii’ is a standalone adjective meaning ‘easy’ (not difficult). ‘Yasui’ is a suffix attached to actions.
When to use: Use ‘Yasashii’ for general tasks (Test ga yasashii); use ‘Yasui’ for specific actions (Yomiyasui).

📝 Conjugation Notes

Once ‘yasui’ is attached to a verb stem, the entire compound functions as an i-adjective. Therefore, it conjugates like one: yasuku nai (negative), yasukatta (past), yasuku nakatta (past negative).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

The accent usually falls on the first syllable of ‘yasui’ when it is a suffix, though it blends into the word. Keep the ‘i’ ending clear.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘Yasui’ (やすい) which also means ‘cheap’ in Japanese. Just as ‘cheap’ implies ‘little financial effort’, this grammar implies ‘little physical or mental effort’.

Other Grammar

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