にかたくない
Not Hard to
にかたくない is a formal, literary pattern used to say that something is easily imaginable or understandable. It is almost exclusively used with mental verbs like 'imagine' (想像する) or 'sympathize' (察する).
How It Works
1. Usage and Nuance
This expression is used when the speaker can easily grasp someone's feelings or a future outcome without seeing it directly. It often carries a tone of empathy or logical certainty. Because it is highly formal, you will see it in news reports, novels, and formal speeches, but almost never in casual conversation.
2. Grammatical Structure
It attaches to a very limited set of words related to cognitive processes:
- Nouns: 想像（そうぞう - imagination）, 理解（りかい - understanding）, 推測（すいそく - conjecture）.
- Verbs (Dictionary Form): 察する（さっする - to guess/empathize）, 想像する, 理解する.
Note that while some words work as both, 察する is almost exclusively used in its verb form in this construction.
3. Kanji Note
While often written in hiragana, the kanji is 難くない. Be careful not to confuse it with 硬い（かたい） (hard/stiff) or 固い（かたい） (firm).
Examples (3)
- 愛する人を亡くした彼女の悲しみは、察するにかたくない。
It is not hard to imagine the grief of a woman who has lost a loved one.
Word by Word: Loving person (object) lost she of sadness (topic), sympathize to not-hard.
Here, 察する (to sympathize/guess) is used to show deep empathy for someone's emotional state.
- このまま不景気が続けば、倒産する企業が増えることは想像に難くない。
If the recession continues like this, it is not hard to imagine that the number of bankrupt companies will increase.
Word by Word: This way recession (subject) continues if, go-bankrupt companies (subject) increase thing (topic) imagination to not-hard.
This uses the noun 想像 (imagination) to describe a logical conclusion about the economy.
- 彼がどれほど努力したかは、この結果を見れば理解にかたくない。
Looking at these results, it is not difficult to understand how much effort he put in.
Word by Word: He (subject) how much effort did whether (topic), these results (object) see if understanding to not-hard.
The pattern attaches to the noun 理解 (understanding) to show that the conclusion is obvious from the evidence.
Common Mistakes
Using it for physical ease or simple tasks.
この本は漢字がないから、読むにかたくない。この本は漢字がないから、読みやすい。にかたくない is strictly for mental processes (imagining, understanding). For physical ease or simple readability, use 〜やすい.
Using the wrong kanji for 'hard'.
想像に硬くない。想像に難くない。The pattern uses 難 (difficult), not 硬 (stiff/hard material). While often written in hiragana, if you use kanji, it must be 難.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The pattern 'にかたくない' is a formal expression meaning 'not difficult to (imagine/guess)'. It is a combination of the target particle 'に' and the negative form of the い-adjective 'かたい' (hard). To understand it, learners need to be familiar with basic adjective negation and how the particle 'に' marks the target of an evaluation.
- くないい-adjective Negation
The pattern uses the negative form of the い-adjective 'かたい' (hard/difficult) to create 'かたくない' (not hard).
Level 1 - にTarget/location Marker
The pattern is built upon the target marker 'に' to indicate the action that is 'not hard' to perform.
Level 1 - ことVerb to Noun
This pattern often follows a nominalized verb or a noun to express that the action of imagining or guessing is easy.
Level 3
Related Patterns
- がたいHard to Bring Oneself to
The semantic opposite; used when something is 'difficult to do' (e.g., 信じがたい - hard to believe).
Level 3 - やすいEasy to Do
Used for general ease of action, whereas にかたくない is restricted to formal mental processes.
Level 2 - にくいHard to Do
Used when an action is physically or psychologically difficult to perform in daily life.
Level 2 - に違いないMust Be
Expresses strong certainty ('must be'), similar to the logical conclusion aspect of にかたくない.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice にかたくない in Bubblegum
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