How do you say "difficult" in Japanese?

難しい

muzukashii

Adjective Kanji

In Japanese, "difficult" is 難しい (muzukashii).

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Pronunciation

難しい is written using kanji. Romanised as muzukashii, it sounds roughly like "moo-zoo-kah-shee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Muzukashii (難しい) is an i-adjective with the kanji 難 specifically conveying difficulty or hardship. This kanji also appears in 難民 (refugee) and 避難 (evacuation).

Example sentence

この問題はとても難しいです。

Kono mondai wa totemo muzukashii desu.

This problem is very difficult.

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How to remember 難しい

The kanji 難 is complex and has many strokes, which itself makes it difficult to write. Learning the character matches learning what it means.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese adjectives.

Questions about 難しい

How do you pronounce 難しい?

難しい is romanised as muzukashii. Say it roughly like "moo-zoo-kah-shee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 難しい formal or casual?

難しい is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 難しい written in Japanese?

難しい is written using kanji. Muzukashii (難しい) is an i-adjective with the kanji 難 specifically conveying difficulty or hardship.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Difficult" in other languages

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