also: ずらい
辛い · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 辛い | 辛くない |
| Polite | 辛いです | 辛くないですalso 辛くありません |
| Past polite | 辛かったです | 辛くなかったですalso 辛くありませんでした |
| Past | 辛かった | 辛くなかった |
| Te-form | 辛くて | 辛くなくて |
| Adverbial | 辛く | |
| Conditional | 辛ければ | 辛くなければ |
| Tara conditional | 辛かったら | 辛くなかったら |
hard to do; difficult to
Attaches to the -masu stem of a verb to express that the action is physically or emotionally difficult or painful to perform. Similar to にくい but often implies personal hardship or reluctance.
See also: つらい
This pen is too thin and hard to write with.
It's hard to tell him the truth.
辛い(づらい) is a casual, everyday suffix for things that are hard or unpleasant to do, whereas がたい is formal and literary, used for things almost impossible to achieve (e.g. 信じがたい).
辛い(づらい) attached to a verb stem means the action is hard to do, while やすい attached the same way means it is easy to do.
辛い(づらい) is a suffix meaning 'hard to do' attached to a verb stem, while 辛い(つらい) is a standalone adjective meaning 'painful' or 'hard to bear', even though both are written with the same kanji.
Standard kanji spelling for the suffix meaning 'hard to do'. Usually written in kana, but the kanji form is also encountered.
Kana spelling is the most common and recommended for learners. It is usually written in kana.
Irregular kana usage variant. Not standard; learners should use づらい instead.
Derived from the adjective 辛い (つらい, 'painful, hard'), with rendaku voicing to づらい when used as a suffix. The irregular kana form ずらい is a common misspelling.