Quadruple VS
Synonym Boundary: "むずかしい", "困難な", "〜にくい", "難航"
All represent the core concept "difficult", but require precise selection.
Japanese Option A
むずかしい
むずかしい (muzukashii)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option B
困難な
こんなんな (konnan na)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option C
〜にくい
〜にくい (nikui)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option D
難航
なんこう (nankou)
N1 / CEFR
Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
When expressing "difficult" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "むずかしい", "困難な", "〜にくい", "難航" based on context.
- むずかしい (むずかしい (muzukashii) - Level: N5): Maps to "difficult" and is used when An i-adjective used to describe something that is not easy to do or understand. The opposite of やさしい.
- 困難な (こんなんな (konnan na) - Level: N3): Maps to "difficult, hard, challenging" and is used when Used to describe situations or tasks that are difficult to achieve or overcome. More formal than 「難しい.
- 〜にくい (〜にくい (nikui) - Level: N3): Maps to "difficult to do; hard to do" and is used when Indicates that an action is difficult to perform or that something is unlikely to occur. It is attached to the masu-stem.
- 難航 (なんこう (nankou) - Level: N1): Maps to "difficult navigation, rough passage; making slow progress, encountering difficulties (of negotiations, projects)" and is used when Literally meaning 'difficult navigation' for ships, it is commonly used metaphorically for projects, negotiations, or processes that are making slow or difficult progress due to various obstacles and challenges..
Context for "むずかしい"
この問題はとても難しくて、わかりません。
This problem is very difficult, so I don't understand it.
Context for "困難な"
そのプロジェクトは非常に困難な課題を含んでいました。
That project involved very difficult challenges.
Context for "〜にくい"
この字は小さくて読みにくい。
This writing is too small and hard to read.
Context for "難航"
交渉は予想通り難航している。
The negotiations are facing difficulties as expected.
Synonym Mastery Challenge
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "この問題はとても難しくて、わかりません。" (Meaning: "This problem is very difficult, so I don't understand it.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "むずかしい" is correct here because it represents "difficult" in the context: "This problem is very difficult, so I don't understand it.".