～やすい
やすい
suffix
easy to ~; tend to ~
1.
easy to ~
Attaches to the stem of a verb (masu-stem) to indicate that the action is easy to perform. The resulting word conjugates as an i-adjective.
この本は読みやすい。
This book is easy to read.
説明が分かりやすくて助かった。
The explanation was easy to understand, which was helpful.
この道具は子供でも使いやすいように設計されている。
This tool is designed to be easy to use even for children.
2.
tend to ~; prone to ~
Indicates a natural tendency or susceptibility toward the action. Often used to describe inherent characteristics of people or things.
ガラスは割れやすい。
Glass breaks easily.
彼は風邪を引きやすい体質だ。
He has a constitution that's prone to catching colds.
この地域は地震のとき液状化が起きやすい土地だと言われている。
This area is said to be land that is prone to liquefaction during earthquakes.
FORMATION:
Attaches to the masu-stem (連用形) of verbs:
- 読む → 読み + やすい → 読みやすい
- 食べる → 食べ + やすい → 食べやすい
- する → し + やすい → しやすい
CONJUGATION:
The resulting word conjugates as an i-adjective:
- 読みやすくない (not easy to read)
- 読みやすかった (was easy to read)
- 読みやすくて (easy to read, and...)
CONTRAST:
- ～やすい vs. ～にくい: ～にくい is the opposite, meaning "hard to do." 読みやすい (easy to read) vs. 読みにくい (hard to read).
- ～やすい vs. ～づらい: ～づらい also means "hard to do" but implies psychological or emotional difficulty, while ～にくい is more neutral.