Say an action is easy or prone to happen (〜やすい)
Attach 〜やすい to a verb stem to create an い-adjective meaning “easy to do” (飲みやすい = easy to drink) or “prone to happen” (壊れやすい = fragile / easily breaks). It describes inherent properties, not personal skill.
Stating Something is Easy to Do (〜やすい)
kono pen wa kakiyasui desu
This pen is easy to write with.
やすい (Easy to Do) vs にくい (Hard to Do)
Micro-Shiftこの薬は 飲みやすい です。
Smooth, pleasant, or simple actionThis medicine is easy to take (drink).
Verb stem + やすい describes an inherent quality that makes an action smooth or pleasant.
Example Sentences
These shoes are easy to walk in.
This pen is very easy to write with.
The Ergonomics & Affordance Mental Model
In Japanese, 〜やすい is not a statement about your personal athletic or intellectual prowess. (For “I can easily solve this,” use できる or 簡単 (simple)).
Instead, 〜やすい describes the design, texture, or nature of the object itself: it has high usability, comfortable ergonomics, or low physical friction.
How to Form 〜やすい
Drop ます from any polite verb stem and attach やすい:
- 書く (to write) → 書きます → 書きやすい (easy to write with)
- 読む (to read) → 読みます → 読みやすい (easy to read / legible)
- 使う (to use) → 使います → 使いやすい (user-friendly)
- 飲む (to drink) → 飲みます → 飲みやすい (easy to drink / palatable)
Two Core Meanings: Usability vs Inherent Tendency
1. Ergonomic Usability (“Easy / Pleasant to Interact With”): - このペンはとても書きやすいです: “This pen writes very smoothly.” - この靴は軽くて歩きやすいです: “These shoes are lightweight and easy to walk in.” - このアプリは使いやすいです: “This app is very intuitive and user-friendly.”
2. Inherent Vulnerability or Tendency (“Prone to / Likely to”): - When paired with non-volitional verbs, 〜やすい indicates a natural susceptibility: - 冬は風邪をひきやすいです: “In winter, people are prone to catching colds.” - このグラスは割れやすいです: “This glass is fragile / breaks easily.” - 太りやすい体質です: “I have a constitution prone to gaining weight.”
Conjugating Like an い-Adjective
Once formed, the compound functions 100% like an regular い-adjective: • Present affirmative: 使いやすい (easy to use) • Present negative: 使いやすくない (not easy to use) • Past affirmative: 使いやすかった (was easy to use) • Past negative: 使いやすくなかった (was not easy to use) • Modifying a noun: 使いやすいスマホ (a user-friendly smartphone)
Conjugation
| Base form | Conjugated | Form |
|---|---|---|
| 書く | 書きやすい | write → easy to write |
| 飲む | 飲みやすい | drink → easy to drink |
| 使う | 使いやすい | use → easy to use |
| 食べる | 食べやすい | eat → easy to eat |
In Dialogue
Hana
Maru
Quick Check
You are recommending a fountain pen that writes smoothly with zero hand fatigue. Which compound adjective should you use?