Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Easy" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "easy", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
易しい
やさしい (yasashii)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
〜やすい
〜やすい (yasui)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "easy" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 易しい and 〜やすい.
In Japanese, 易しい (やさしい (yasashii)) is typically associated with "easy, simple" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents An i-adjective. In the context of difficulty, it means 'simple' or 'not difficult.' Note that '優しい'.
On the other hand, 〜やすい (〜やすい (yasui)) maps to "easy to do; prone to; apt to" (Syllabus Level: N3) and represents Indicates that an action is easy to perform or that something has a tendency to occur. It is attached to the masu-stem. A literal translation of "easy" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "易しい"
この問題はとても易しいです。
This problem is very easy.
Bilingual Context for "〜やすい"
このコップは割れやすい。
This glass breaks easily.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "この問題はとても ＿＿＿ です。" (Meaning: "This problem is very easy.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "易しい" fits here because it means "easy, simple" in the context of: "This problem is very easy.". "〜やすい" represents "easy to do; prone to; apt to".