Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
Difficult to do; hard to…
🎯 Primary Function
Expresses that performing an action is difficult, often due to psychological/emotional resistance or inherent qualities, rather than just lack of skill.
📋 Grammar Structure
[Verb ます-stem] + がたい
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Can be used in formal speech and writing, lending a slightly more formal tone than 〜にくい.
Informal Situations
Less common in very casual conversation; may sound a bit stiff.
Written Language
Frequently encountered in written materials like articles, essays, and literature.
Spoken Language
Used, but generally less frequently than 〜にくい.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing difficulty in believing something.
Often used with verbs related to perception or emotion like 信じる (shinjiru – to believe).
Example: 信じがたい話ですね。(Shinjigatai hanashi desu ne.) It’s a story that’s hard to believe, isn’t it?
Expressing difficulty in understanding something.
Used with verbs like 理解する (rikai suru – to understand) when the difficulty is conceptual or due to the nature of the subject.
Example: 彼の言動は理解しがたい。(Kare no gendou wa rikai shigatai.) His words and actions are difficult to understand.
Expressing something is hard to forget or forgive.
Applies to actions like 忘れる (wasureru – to forget) or 許す (yurusu – to forgive), emphasizing the emotional difficulty.
Example: 忘れがたい思い出です。(Wasuregatai omoide desu.) These are unforgettable memories.
Frequency
Moderately frequent, especially in written Japanese and formal speech.
Difficulty
Intermediate (JLPT N3).
Example Sentences
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Notes & Nuances
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