GRAMMAR DETAIL

～やすい

N4

easy to

Attaches to a verb stem to express that an action is easy to perform or a phenomenon occurs easily.

Examples

2

このペンは軽くて書きやすい。

This pen is light and easy to write with.

この説明書は図が多くて分かりやすいです。

This manual has many illustrations, so it is easy to understand.

Words used

Study notes

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

Structure: A verb's ます stem takes やすい.
Basic usage: このペンは軽くて書きやすい。 means that the pen's lightness makes it easy to write with.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

Ease and a tendency to occur
- 読みやすい describes ease of reading, while 壊れやすい describes a tendency to break. A construction with やすい is not always a favorable evaluation.
Adjectival inflection
- Form the past as 読みやすかった and modify a noun as in 読みやすい本. Keep the first verb's stem and inflect the following やすい.