やすい
易い · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 易い | 易くない |
| Polite | 易いです | 易くないですalso 易くありません |
| Past polite | 易かったです | 易くなかったですalso 易くありませんでした |
| Past | 易かった | 易くなかった |
| Te-form | 易くて | 易くなくて |
| Adverbial | 易く | |
| Conditional | 易ければ | 易くなければ |
| Tara conditional | 易かったら | 易くなかったら |
Meanings
Standalone adjective meaning something is easy to do or understand. Often used in the pattern 〜が易しい, but 易い is a slightly more literary or formal variant compared to 易しい (やさしい).
This problem is easy.
I chose the easy path.
likely to ...; have a tendency to ...
Attaches to the -masu stem of verbs to express that something tends to happen or is prone to happening. Often implies an undesirable or unintentional tendency.
He is forgetful and tends to forget promises.
This glass breaks easily.
easy to ...
Attaches to the -masu stem of verbs to express that something is easy to do. Unlike sense 2, this sense focuses on the ease of performing the action, not a tendency.
This pen is easy to write with.
These shoes are easy to walk in.
Usage patterns
- 〈動詞〉やすいeasy to do (something)
This book is easy to read.
Expressions· 8
- 易きに付くtake the easy way out; follow the path of least resistance
- 生は難く死は易しliving is difficult; dying is easy
- 創業は易く守成は難しstarting a business is easy; keeping it going is hard
- 案ずるより産むが易しit is easier to do something than to worry about it; fear overruns the danger
- 煽てと畚には乗り易いit's dangerous to fall for flattery
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- 言うは易く行うは難しeasier said than done
- 少年老い易く学成り難しstudy hard while you are young
- 山中の賊を破るは易く心中の賊を破るは難しit's hard to discipline one's mind