難しい

• Reading: むずかしい
• Romaji: muzukashii
• Kanji breakdown: 難 (nan/muzuka) — difficult, trouble, hardship
• Pronunciation: /mɯ.zɯ.ka.ɕi.i/

Meaning

Difficult; hard; complicated. Used for tasks, problems, or situations that require effort to handle.

An i-adjective expressing difficulty or complexity. It applies to intellectual challenges (難しい問題, a hard problem), practical tasks (難しい料理, a difficult dish to cook), and even interpersonal situations (難しい人, a difficult person). The antonym is 易しい (yasashii, easy). Conjugates regularly: 難しくない, 難しかった.

Examples

1. この漢字は難しいです。 This kanji is difficult.
2. 日本語のテストは難しかったです。 The Japanese test was hard.
3. 難しい本を読んでいます。 I'm reading a difficult book.

Usage Guide

Context: school, study, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 難 originally meant 'disaster' or 'hardship,' and its meaning broadened to include general difficulty. It combines 革 (leather) and 隹 (bird), suggesting something hard to catch.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal