に難くない
🃏 Flashcard
に難くない
ni katakunai
Tap to reveal usage
easy to do; it’s not hard to ~
N1
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N1
Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms
Reading
ni katakunai
Post ID
51307
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
easy to do; it’s not hard to ~
📖 How to use it
A formal expression meaning 'easy to do' or 'not hard to imagine', often used with verbs of imagining or understanding.
Attaches to
Attach to the dictionary form of a verb (e.g., 想像するに難くない) or to a noun followed by に (e.g., 想像に難くない).
This pattern is a set phrase meaning 'it is not difficult to do' or 'easy to do'. It is most commonly used with verbs like 想像する (to imagine), 理解する (to understand), or 察する (to guess), often in the form 想像に難くない. It can also attach directly to a verb's dictionary form, as in 想像するに難くない. The nuance is that something is so obvious that it requires no effort to grasp or predict. It is a formal, written-style expression typical of essays, news articles, or formal speeches. In casual conversation, you would rarely use it; instead, you might say 簡単に想像できる or 分からないでもない.
彼がその話を断ったのも、想像するに難くない。
Kare ga sono hanashi o kotowatta no mo, souzou suru ni katakunai.
It's not hard to imagine why he turned down that offer.
この結果が予想外だったとは言え、彼女のショックは察するに難くない。
Kono kekka ga yosougai datta to wa ie, kanojo no shokku wa sassuru ni katakunai.
Although the result was unexpected, it's easy to guess how shocked she was.
経済状況を考えれば、この政策への反対が強いのも理解するに難くない。
Keizai joukyou o kangaereba, kono seisaku e no hantai ga tsuyoi no mo rikai suru ni katakunai.
Given the economic situation, it is not hard to understand why there is strong opposition to this policy.
Not やすい
やすい attaches to the ます-stem of a verb (e.g., 分かりやすい) and indicates that something is inherently easy to do or easy to understand, often in casual speech. に難くない is a formal set phrase used mainly with cognitive verbs like imagine or guess, and is not used in everyday conversation.
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Formal and mostly written; appropriate for essays, news, or speeches, but not for casual conversation.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
に難くない
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat に難くない 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 に難くない. 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 N1 Patterns
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にかまけて
to be too busy; to focus only on ~
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にまつわる
to be related to; to concern with ~
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern に難くない mean?
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Easy to do; it’s not hard to ~
What JLPT level is に難くない?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use に難くない in a sentence?
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Attach に難くない (ni katakunai) 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 に難くない formal or casual Japanese?
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に難くない is used in formal or written contexts. You will see it mainly in written texts, news, business Japanese and academic contexts.
How can I remember に難くない long-term?
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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.