にくいnikui“hard to do”

にくい means hard to do. It is a JLPT N4 Japanese grammar pattern used to express that something is difficult to do in natural Japanese.

This grammar point often appears in conversation, written explanations, formal notices, and JLPT-style reading questions. If you want to express that an action is difficult to perform, にくい is a useful pattern to learn after the N5 basics.

What does にくい mean?

Use にくい when you want to express that an action is difficult to perform.

Natural translations include:

• hard to do
• difficult to do

How to form にくい

Examples of the pattern:

• 読みにくい
• 使いにくい
• 歩きにくい

にくい attaches directly to the masu-stem.

When is にくい used?

Use にくい in situations like:

• describing something that is physically or situationally difficult to do
• making a sentence more specific than a basic N5 pattern

Tone and register:

• neutral; common in daily speech, textbook examples, and JLPT N4 reading questions

にくい example sentences

After reading each sentence, ask what job にくい is doing: describing difficulty in performing the action.

Nuance of にくい

The key nuance is difficulty from the speaker’s perspective.

This matters because にくい describes an inherent quality or circumstance that makes an action hard to complete. It is not about ability (that is 〜できない), but about the ease of performing the action itself.

For example:

• In context, にくい helps make the sentence more precise than a direct English translation.
• Compared with やすい, it carries the opposite weight even when both patterns attach to the same verb stem.

にくい vs やすい

Both にくい and やすい attach to the masu-stem, but they express opposite ideas.

If both translations seem possible, check whether the sentence emphasizes difficulty or ease. The context usually tells you which grammar point is natural.

Common mistakes with にくい

A helpful practice method is to write one sentence with にくい, then rewrite it with やすい. If the meaning flips completely, you are using the forms correctly.

Is にくい on the JLPT?

Practice questions for にくい

Once the structure feels natural, add time words, places, or reasons to make the sentence more realistic.

Learning path for にくい

Related grammar to review next

• やすい — easy to do; the direct opposite of にくい
• づらい — hard to do; emphasizes physical or emotional difficulty
• なかなか～ない — not easily; focuses on the negative result rather than the action itself
• ことができる — can do; expresses ability rather than difficulty

Learn にくい with Hane

If you want to review にくい together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you practice Japanese in short, focused sessions.

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