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.
The difficulty of this problem is beyond imagination.
A more formal noun meaning 'hardship' or 'difficulty', often used for serious challenges or adversities.
He overcame many difficulties.
A somewhat old-fashioned or literary term for 'hardship' or 'trouble'. Not common in everyday speech.
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.
Is Japanese difficult?
The adjectival form of 困難, meaning 'difficult' in a more formal or serious sense. Often used with abstract nouns.
We are facing a difficult situation.
Means 'tough', 'hard', or 'terrible'. More colloquial than 難しい, often implying effort or hardship.
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.
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.
I had difficulty preparing the documents.
Means 'to be troubled by' or 'to have difficulty with'. Often used for problems or inconveniences.
I'm having financial difficulties.
Talking about how difficult something is, often in games or tasks.
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.
This puzzle is very difficult.