難(むずか)しい

むずかしい
adjective (i-adjective)
difficult, hard
1. difficult, hard
Requiring great effort, skill, or intelligence. The opposite of 易(やさ)しい (easy).
日本語(にほんご)は難(むずか)しいですか？
Is Japanese difficult?
この問題(もんだい)は難(むずか)しすぎます。
This problem is too difficult.
〜すぎる = too ~
難(むずか)しい漢字(かんじ)が読(よ)めません。
I can't read difficult kanji.
難(むずか)しくないと思(おも)っていましたが、やってみたら難(むずか)しかったです。
I thought it wouldn't be difficult, but when I tried it, it was hard.
この本(ほん)は難(むずか)しいですが、毎日(まいにち)少(すこ)しずつ読(よ)んでいます。
This book is difficult, but I'm reading it little by little every day.

難(むずか)しい is an i-adjective meaning "difficult" or "hard."

FORMS:

  • Adverb: 難(むずか)しく
  • Noun form: 難(むずか)しさ (difficulty)
  • Negative: 難(むずか)しくない

SPELLING NOTE:
The correct reading is むずかしい. An older/dialectal variant むつかしい exists but is rarely used.

USAGE RANGE:

  • Tasks/problems: 問題(もんだい)が難(むずか)しい (the problem is difficult)
  • People: 難(むずか)しい人(ひと) (a difficult/hard-to-please person)
  • Situations: 難(むずか)しい状況(じょうきょう) (a difficult situation)
  • Abstract: 難(むずか)しい判断(はんだん) (a difficult decision)

OPPOSITES:

  • 易(やさ)しい: easy (same kanji pattern)
  • 簡単(かんたん)な: simple, easy

COMMON EXPRESSIONS:

  • 難(むずか)しいことはない: it's not difficult
  • 難(むずか)しく考(かんが)える: to overthink

Related Words

See also: 易(やさ)しい／優(やさ)しい
basic
Added 2026.1.7 21:26 · Revised 2026.2.8 10:30
00500/00517_muzukashii