synonym Comparative
大変な
VS
手ごわい
Differences Between "大変な" and "手ごわい"
Option A
大変な
Meaning
tough, difficult, serious, awful
Reading
たいへんな (taihen na)
Syllabus Level
N4
Practical Example
仕事が多くて、毎日大変です。
There's a lot of work, so every day is tough.
Option B
手ごわい
Meaning
formidable, tough, strong (opponent/challenge)
Reading
てごわい (tegowa-i)
Syllabus Level
N2
Practical Example
次の対戦相手は、かなりの手ごわいチームだ。
The next opponent is a considerably formidable team.
Which one to use?
Select the correct Japanese word for this context
Which word fits this context: "(tough, difficult, serious, awful)"?
🎉 正解 / Correct!
使い分け解説:
- 大変な: A な-adjective. Can describe a difficult situation, a lot of work, or a serious problem. Can also be an exclamation of surprise or distress (例: 引っ越しは本当に大変な仕事です - Moving is really tough work).
- 手ごわい: 相手が強くて手強いこと、または問題や課題が困難で解決が難しいこと。容易に勝てない、乗り越えられないといった意味合いがあります。(Describes an opponent that is strong and formidable, or a problem/challenge that is difficult to solve. Implies that one cannot easily win or overcome it.)
- 大変な: A な-adjective. Can describe a difficult situation, a lot of work, or a serious problem. Can also be an exclamation of surprise or distress (例: 引っ越しは本当に大変な仕事です - Moving is really tough work).
- 手ごわい: 相手が強くて手強いこと、または問題や課題が困難で解決が難しいこと。容易に勝てない、乗り越えられないといった意味合いがあります。(Describes an opponent that is strong and formidable, or a problem/challenge that is difficult to solve. Implies that one cannot easily win or overcome it.)
Want to boost your Japanese vocabulary?
Project Eagle automatically tracks and targets your weak words using AI. Practice thousands of operational exams completely for free!