易しい

• Reading: やさしい
• Romaji: yasashii
• Kanji breakdown: 易 (yasa/eki) — easy, simple; also change, divination
• Pronunciation: /ja.sa.ɕi.i/

Meaning

Easy; simple; plain. Describes something that does not require much effort to understand or do.

An i-adjective meaning easy or simple. Important: 易しい (yasashii, easy) and 優しい (yasashii, kind/gentle) are homophones with different kanji and meanings. Context and kanji distinguish them. 易しい is the antonym of 難しい. Conjugates regularly: 易しくない, 易しかった.

Examples

1. この問題は易しいです。 This problem is easy.
2. 易しい日本語で話してください。 Please speak in easy Japanese.
3. 今日のテストは易しかったです。 Today's test was easy.

Usage Guide

Context: school, study, conversation

Tone: positive

Origin & History

The kanji 易 has two readings and meanings: やさしい (easy) and えき (change/divination, as in 易経 the Book of Changes). The 'easy' meaning likely derives from the idea of something being straightforward to change or handle.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal