Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
Hard to do; difficult to V; almost impossible to V.
🎯 Primary Function
To indicate that the action represented by the verb is psychologically, morally, or emotionally difficult or impossible for the subject to perform.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb Stem (ます form minus ます) + がたい
N/A (The resulting form がたい is an I-adjective itself, conjugating as: がたい, がたくない, がたかった)
N/A
V-stem + がたい + くない (Conjugated as a negative I-adjective)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Very common and highly appropriate in serious discussions, reports, and professional writing.
Informal Situations
Used but often replaced by simpler expressions like 〜にくい or simply 難しい (muzukashii). It lends a formal tone.
Written Language
Very common in novels, news articles, academic papers, and essays.
Spoken Language
Used in formal speeches, presentations, or when expressing serious emotional difficulty.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing psychological or emotional difficulty in accepting a situation or truth.
Used when the difficulty stems from strong disbelief, shock, or emotional resistance rather than a lack of evidence.
Example: 信じがたい真実 (A hard-to-believe truth)
Describing an action that is morally or ethically difficult or impossible to perform/forgive.
Often applied to actions viewed as serious violations of social or moral norms, making forgiveness or overlooking the act psychologically difficult.
Example: 許しがたい過ち (An unforgivable mistake)
Indicating difficulty in communication or articulation due to strong feelings.
Used with verbs like 言う (iu) or 表す (arawasu) when feelings are too complex or intense to express easily.
Example: 言葉に表しがたい感情 (Feelings hard to put into words)
Frequency
Moderate (Highly frequent in formal and literary contexts, less common in casual speech).
Difficulty
Advanced (N2 Level)
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Example Sentences
Example #1
あんなに残酷な噂は信じがたい。
Furigana: あんなに残酷(ざんこく)な噂(うわさ)は信(しん)じがたい。
Romaji: Anna ni zankoku na uwasa wa shinji gatai.
English: It is hard to believe such a cruel rumor.
Example #2
これは無視しがたい歴史的な事実だ。
Furigana: これは無視(むし)しがたい歴史的(れきしてき)な事実(じじつ)だ。
Romaji: Kore wa mushi shi gatai rekishiteki na jijitsu da.
English: This is a historical fact that is hard to ignore.
Example #3
その政治家の汚職は、許しがたい行為であった。
Furigana: その政治家(せいじか)の汚職(おしょく)は、許(ゆる)しがたい行為(こうい)であった。
Romaji: Sono seijika no oshoku wa, yurushi gatai kōi de atta.
English: The politician’s corruption was an unforgivable act.
Example #4
彼には言いがたいことがある。
Furigana: 彼(かれ)には言(い)いがたいこと（話(はなし)）がある。
Romaji: Kare ni wa ii gatai koto ga aru.
English: I have a difficult matter to discuss with him.
Example #5
それは今となっては直(なお)しがたい過ちだ。
Furigana: それは今(いま)となっては直(なお)しがたい過(あやま)ちだ。
Romaji: Sore wa ima to natte wa naoshi gatai ayamachi da.
English: This is a mistake that is hard to fix now.
Example #6
あまりの悲劇に、見がたい光景だった。
Furigana: あまりの悲劇(ひげき)に、目(め)を覆(おお)いたくなるような見(み)がたい光景(こうけい)だった。
Romaji: Amari no higeki ni, mi gatai kōkei datta.
English: It was a situation that was hard to look at (too painful to watch).
Example #7
彼は人を近づけがたい雰囲気を持っている。
Furigana: 彼(かれ)は人(ひと)を近づ(ちかづ)けがたい雰囲気(ふんいき)を持(も)っている。
Romaji: Kare wa hito o chikazuke gatai fun’iki o motte iru.
English: That person has a personality that makes them difficult to approach.
Example #8
言葉に表しがたい感動を覚えた。
Furigana: 言葉(ことば)に表(あらわ)しがたい感動(かんどう)を覚(おぼ)えた。
Romaji: Kotoba ni arawashi gatai kandō o oboeta.
English: It was a moment of deep emotion that was hard to express in words.
Example #9
今後の経済の行方は予測しがたい。
Furigana: 今後(こんご)の経済(けいざい)の行方(ゆくえ)は予測(よそく)しがたい。
Romaji: Kongo no keizai no yukue wa yosoku shi gatai.
English: The economic future is hard to predict.
Example #10
彼との出会いは、私にとって忘れがたい出来事だ。
Furigana: 彼(かれ)との出会(であ)いは、私(わたし)にとって忘(わす)れがたい出来事(できごと)だ。
Romaji: Kare to no deai wa, watashi ni totte wasure gatai dekigoto da.
English: That memory is one that is hard to forget.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Primarily Used for Third Person or Abstract Subjects.
がたい is almost always used in the third person or with abstract nouns. It is generally not used in the first person (I) for simple actions (e.g., 私は食べがたい is unnatural; use 食べたくない instead).
Example: 彼は言い難い表情で立ち去った。(Kare wa ii gatai hyōjō de tachisatta. – He left with an expression hard to describe.)
Functions as an I-Adjective.
The resulting expression (V-stem + がたい) functions as an I-adjective and can directly modify nouns (attributive use) or end a sentence (predicative use).
Example: 忘れがたい思い出 (wasure gatai omoide – An unforgettable memory).
Emphasizes Internal Difficulty.
The difficulty is almost always rooted in psychological resistance, moral barrier, or emotional inhibition, making the action feel “impossible.”
Example: 彼はその不正を認めがたい。(Kare wa sono fusei o mitome gatai. – He finds it difficult to admit the injustice.)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ この靴は履きがたい (Kono kutsu wa haki gatai).
✅ この靴は履きにくい (Kono kutsu wa haki nikui).
がたい expresses internal (psychological/moral) difficulty. にくい expresses external (physical/practical) difficulty. Do not use がたい for physical problems.
❌ それはどうにも理解(りかい)しがたい問題だ。 (Possible, but 理解しにくい is often more natural for general difficulty).
✅ それはどうにも理解(りかい)しにくい問題だ。
がたい typically attaches to verbs related to cognition, emotion, or communication (信じる, 許す, 言う). While possible, it’s less common with verbs of complex physical action unless the psychological aspect is emphasized.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: High (Formal/Literary)
Social Situations: Best reserved for serious, formal, or emotionally impactful situations where the speaker wishes to convey a strong sense of difficulty or impossibility.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese. No significant regional variations in usage or meaning.
🔍 Subtle Differences
〜がたい vs. 〜にくい
がたい implies psychological/moral difficulty (internal resistance); にくい implies practical/physical difficulty (external hindrance).
When to use: Use がたい when you are talking about mental acts like believing, forgiving, or expressing. Use にくい when talking about physical acts like writing, eating, or standing.
〜がたい vs. 〜かねる
がたい means “it is difficult to V” (a general statement); かねる means “I cannot V” (polite refusal, hesitation, or inability due to circumstances).
When to use: Use がたい when making an objective statement about the difficulty of an action. Use かねる when the speaker is politely expressing their own current inability or reluctance to perform an action.
📝 Conjugation Notes
がたい functions entirely as a true I-adjective. It conjugates regularly: * Present Affirmative: がたい * Present Negative: がたくない * Past Affirmative: がたかった * Adverbial form (to modify a verb): がたく
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounce がたい with a slight emphasis on the ‘ga’ to distinguish it clearly. When reading, recognize the verb stem immediately before がたい to quickly parse the meaning.
🧠 Memory Tips
Relate がたい to 難い (かたい/がたい), which is the kanji for “difficult.” This will help you remember the meaning, but remember that the spoken がたい is attached to the verb stem, not the base kanji. Think: V-stem + 難い (gatai).
Other Grammar
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