difficult to do (にくい) – Japanese Grammar にくい (nikui)

Q: What JLPT level is にくい?

JLPT N4 — Upper-Beginner · Forming complex sentences

Q: How do you use にくい in a sentence?

Attach にくい to the appropriate verb or noun form. Difficult to do

Q: Is にくい formal or casual Japanese?

にくい can be used in both casual conversation and polite speech depending on context.

にくい

N4 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today

nikui

difficult to do

たらいいですか tara ii desu ka みたいに mitai ni てすみません te sumimasen 予定だ yotei da ば ba と to はずがない hazu ga nai ても temo のに noni ぜひ zehi さっき sakki と言ってもいい to ittemo ii やすい yasui 終わる owaru さすが sasuga らしい rashii ばかり bakari かもしれない kamo shirenai にみえる ni mieru な na たらいいですか tara ii desu ka みたいに mitai ni てすみません te sumimasen 予定だ yotei da ば ba と to はずがない hazu ga nai ても temo のに noni ぜひ zehi さっき sakki と言ってもいい to ittemo ii やすい yasui 終わる owaru さすが sasuga らしい rashii ばかり bakari かもしれない kamo shirenai にみえる ni mieru な na

🃏 Flashcard

にくい

nikui

Tap to reveal usage

difficult to do

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📊 Pattern Stats

JLPT Level N4

Upper-Beginner · Forming complex sentences

Reading nikui

Post ID 50741

Patterns today 0

0 / 10 daily goal

📝 Usage Notes

difficult to do

📖 How to use it

Describes something that is difficult to do, often due to inherent properties or physical/mental effort.

Attaches to Attach to the ます-stem of a verb (the form used with ます, minus ます). For example, 食べる -> 食べ, 言う -> 言い.

にくい is an i-adjective suffix that turns a verb into an adjective meaning 'difficult to do'. It expresses that the action itself is hard to perform, often because of the nature of the subject or the situation. For example, a knife that is dull is 切りにくい (hard to cut with), or a name that is hard to pronounce is 言いにくい. It can also describe emotional difficulty, like '言いにくいこと' (something hard to say).

Remember that にくい is an i-adjective, so it can conjugate like one: past tense にくかった, negative にくくない. You can also use it with です for politeness: このペンは書きにくいです. It is a common everyday pattern, used in both speaking and writing, but not overly formal.

Do not confuse it with やすい, which means 'easy to do'. The structure is the same: ます-stem + やすい.

この靴は歩きにくいです。

Kono kutsu wa arukinikui desu.

These shoes are hard to walk in.

この漢字は覚えにくいです。

Kono kanji wa oboenikui desu.

This kanji is hard to memorize.

先生にそのことを言いにくかったです。

Sensei ni sono koto o iinikukatta desu.

It was hard to say that to the teacher.

Not やすいやすい means 'easy to do' and uses the same attachment: ます-stem + やすい. For example, この本は読みやすい (this book is easy to read) vs この本は読みにくい (this book is hard to read).

Register Neutral and common in both spoken and written Japanese; appropriate for everyday conversation and polite speech.

🎯 Quick Quiz

What does this grammar pattern mean or do?

にくい

📚 How to Master This Pattern

🔊

Say It Aloud

Press Hear it and repeat にくい three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.

🃏

Flip Before Reading

Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.

✍️

Write Two Sentences

Compose two original sentences using にくい. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.

⏰

Spaced Review

Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.

🔗 More JLPT N4 Patterns

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What does the grammar pattern にくい mean? ▼

Difficult to do

What JLPT level is にくい? ▼

Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N4 — Upper-Beginner · Forming complex sentences. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.

How do you use にくい in a sentence? ▼

Attach にくい (nikui) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.

Is にくい formal or casual Japanese? ▼

にくい is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.

How can I remember にくい long-term? ▼

Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.