～易い
Easy to, Likely to
Structure
Explanation
The い-Adjective 易い attaches to the stem of a verb to indicate that an action is 'easy to do'. The verb it follows, (A), is the action that is considered easy, creating the meaning 'easy to (A)'.
- このペンはとても書きやすいです。This pen is very easy to write with.
- 先生の説明は分かりやすい。The teacher's explanation is easy to understand.
In some contexts, やすい can also express the idea that something is 'prone to (A)' or 'likely to (A)'. This meaning often appears with verbs that describe involuntary changes or feelings.
- このおもちゃは壊れやすいから、気をつけてね。This toy is prone to breaking, so please be careful.
- 彼は大事な約束を忘れやすい。He is likely to forget important promises.
Caution
Be careful not to confuse this with the adjective 安い, which means 'cheap'. The kanji 安 cannot be used with verbs to mean 'easy'. In practice, this grammar point is almost always written in hiragana, as the kanji version 易い is not commonly used.
Fun Fact
While 易い is technically an い-Adjective, it is very rarely used on its own without a verb. When you want to say that something is 'easy' in general, it is much more natural to use the な-Adjective 簡単.
- 昨日、安いシャツを三枚買いました。Yesterday, I bought three cheap shirts. (安い means cheap, not 易い for easy)
- 今日のテストは簡単だった。Today's test was easy. (易い cannot be used here because it requires a verb)
Examples
この本は読みやすい。
This book is easy to read.
この靴は歩きやすいです。
These shoes are easy to walk in.
今日の単語は覚えやすかった。
Today's vocabulary was easy to memorize.
このおもちゃは壊れやすいです。
This toy is easy to break.
このペンは太いから、書きやすい。
Because this pen is thick, it is easy to write with.
この車は運転しやすい。
This car is easy to drive.
先生の説明はとても丁寧だから、分かりやすい。
Because the teacher's explanation is very thorough, it is easy to understand.
あの先輩とは相談しやすかった。
That senior was easy to consult with.
このシャツは大きくて着やすい。
This shirt is big, so it is easy to put on.
最近、疲れやすくなりました。
Lately, I have become prone to getting tired.
日本語の勉強はこの本からが始めやすいですよ。
For studying Japanese, this book is an easy place to start!
質問が簡単だったので、答えやすかった。
Because the question was simple, it was easy to answer.