Japanese Grammar: ~にくい (Difficult to Do)

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Japanese Grammar: ~にくい (Difficult to Do)
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

‘Hard to’ or ‘Difficult to’.

🎯 Primary Function

To describe that an action is difficult, awkward, or unlikely to happen smoothly due to the nature of an object or situation.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb [Stem form] + にくい (Nikui)
Not applicable (This grammar attaches to verbs).
Not applicable (This grammar attaches to verbs).
Verb [Stem] + にくくない (Nikukunai)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Used in business reports to describe technical issues or difficulties in processes.

😊 Informal Situations

Commonly used to complain about uncomfortable clothes, bad food, or difficult tasks.

✍️ Written Language

Common in product reviews, manuals, and instructional guides.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Used frequently in daily speech to give feedback or express frustration.

💡 Common Applications

Physical Difficulty
Used when an external factor makes a physical action difficult.
Example: この道は歩きにくい (This road is hard to walk on).
Psychological/Cognitive Difficulty
Used when something is mentally challenging to process or execute.
Example: 説明が分かりにくい (The explanation is hard to understand).
Functional Limitations
Used to describe tools or objects that do not function smoothly for their intended purpose.
Example: このペンは書きにくい (This pen is hard to write with).
📊
Frequency
Very High. This is a standard way to express difficulty in daily Japanese conversations and writing.
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N4 (Intermediate Beginner) spinning off from basic verb conjugation.
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Related Kanji

JLPT N4 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N4 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
このペンは書きにくいです。
Furigana: このペンはかきにくいです。
Romaji: Kono pen wa kakinikui desu.
English: This pen is difficult to write with.
Example #2
彼の説明は分かりにくいです。
Furigana: かれのせつめいはわかりにくいです。
Romaji: Kare no setsumei wa wakarinikui desu.
English: His explanation is hard to understand.
Example #3
この靴は歩きにくいです。
Furigana: このくつはあ歩きにくいです。
Romaji: Kono kutsu wa arukinikui desu.
English: These shoes are uncomfortable and hard to walk in.
Example #4
あの人の名前は覚えにくいです。
Furigana: あのひとのなまえはおぼえにくいです。
Romaji: Ano hito no namae wa oboenikui desu.
English: That person’s name is difficult to remember.
Example #5
この肉は硬くて食べにくいです。
Furigana: このにくはかたくてたべにくいです。
Romaji: Kono niku wa katakute tabenikui desu.
English: This meat is tough and hard to eat.
Example #6
冬は服が乾きにくいです。
Furigana: ふゆはふくがかわきにくいです。
Romaji: Fuyu wa fuku ga kawakinikui desu.
English: In winter, clothes are hard to dry.
Example #7
この薬は苦くて飲みにくいです。
Furigana: このくすりはにがくてのみにくいです。
Romaji: Kono kusuri wa nigakute nominikui desu.
English: This medicine is bitter and hard to swallow.
Example #8
ここは電話がつながりにくいです。
Furigana: ここはでんわがつながりにくいです。
Romaji: Koko wa denwa ga tsunagarinikui desu.
English: The phone signal is weak here, so it’s hard to talk.
Example #9
小さい字は読みにくいです。
Furigana: ちいさいじはよみにくいです。
Romaji: Chiisai ji wa yominikui desu.
English: Small characters are hard to read.
Example #10
グラスがつるつるして、持ちにくいです。
Furigana: グラスがつるつるして、もちにくいです。
Romaji: Gurasu ga tsurutsuru shite, mochinikui desu.
English: The glass is slippery and hard to hold.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Focus on Object Characteristics
It describes the characteristic of an object (the pen) rather than the speaker’s skill level.
Example: このペンは書きにくい。
Objective Difficulty
It is often used for things that are physically awkward or poorly designed.
Example: このスマホは使いにくい。

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ 漢字は覚え難しいです (Kanji wa oboe-muzukashii desu).
✅ 漢字は覚えにくいです (Kanji wa oboenikui desu).
‘Muzukashii’ is an adjective used on its own. ‘~Nikui’ must be attached to a verb stem.
❌ 書くにくい (Kaku-nikui).
✅ 書きにくい (Kakinikui).
You must use the stem (Masu-form minus Masu), not the dictionary form.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral. Can be made polite by adding ‘desu’.
Social Situations: Polite enough for most social contexts, though very direct complaints might need softening.
Regional Variations: Standard throughout Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

~にくい (Nikui) vs ~づらい (Dzurai)
‘Nikui’ is more objective/physical; ‘Dzurai’ is more subjective/emotional or involves physical pain/effort.
When to use: Use ‘Nikui’ for a pen that doesn’t write well. Use ‘Dzurai’ for a situation that is emotionally painful to talk about.

📝 Conjugation Notes

Once attached to a verb, ‘~nikui’ functions exactly like an i-adjective. Example: Nikui (Present), Nikukunai (Negative), Nikukatta (Past), Nikukunakatta (Past Negative).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

The accent usually falls on the ‘ni’ or ‘ku’ depending on the verb, but keep the ‘ui’ sound clear.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘Nikui’ as ‘Hard’ (like a hard rock is difficult to break). It transforms a verb into a description of difficulty. Pair it with its opposite, ‘~yasui’ (easy to), to learn them together.

Other Grammar

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