Translation guide
How to express the idea of 'difficulty' in Japanese, covering nouns, adjectives, and common phrases.
Referring to difficulty as a concept or a challenging situation.
The most direct noun form, meaning 'the difficulty (of something)'. Used to describe how hard something is.
この問題の難しさは想像以上だ。
The difficulty of this problem is beyond imagination.
A more formal noun meaning 'hardship' or 'difficulty', often used for serious challenges or adversities.
彼は多くの困難を乗り越えた。
He overcame many difficulties.
A somewhat old-fashioned or literary term for 'hardship' or 'trouble'. Not common in everyday speech.
難儀な仕事だった。
It was a difficult task.
Describing something as difficult or hard to do.
The standard adjective for 'difficult' or 'hard'. Used for tasks, problems, situations, etc.
日本語は難しいですか？
Is Japanese difficult?
このパズルはとても難しい。
This puzzle is very difficult.
The adjectival form of 困難, meaning 'difficult' in a more formal or serious sense. Often used with abstract nouns.
困難な状況に直面している。
We are facing a difficult situation.
Means 'tough', 'hard', or 'terrible'. More colloquial than 難しい, often implying effort or hardship.
引っ越しは大変だった。
Moving was really difficult.
Expressing that someone has trouble or struggles with something.
Means 'to have difficulty (doing something)' or 'to struggle to do'. 苦労する implies effort and hardship.
彼は新しいソフトを使うのに苦労している。
He is having difficulty using the new software.
Means 'to take time' or 'to have trouble' with something, often because it's more complicated than expected.
書類の準備に手間取った。
I had difficulty preparing the documents.
Means 'to be troubled by' or 'to have difficulty with'. Often used for problems or inconveniences.
お金に困っている。
I'm having financial difficulties.
Talking about how difficult something is, often in games or tasks.
Means 'difficulty level'. Commonly used in video games, exams, etc.
このゲームの難易度は高い。
The difficulty level of this game is high.
A common phrase meaning 'high difficulty'.
この試験は難易度が高い。
This exam has a high difficulty level.
難しい is the general word for 'difficult'. 困難 is more formal and serious, often used for hardships. 大変 is colloquial and implies something is tough or a lot of work.
While 難しさ is the direct noun, it's often more natural to rephrase using 難しい or a verb phrase like 〜のに苦労する when talking about having difficulty.