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
容易
ようい (yōi)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "easy" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 易しい and 容易.
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, 容易 (ようい (yōi)) maps to "easy, simple, light (na-adjective)" (Syllabus Level: N3) and represents 物事を行うのが簡単であること、または困難なく進められる状態を表します。「簡単」や「やさしい」よりもやや硬い表現で、書き言葉やフォーマルな文脈で使われることが多いです。. 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 "容易"
この問題は私にとって非常に容易です。
This problem is very easy for me.
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.". "容易" represents "easy, simple, light (na-adjective)".