～にくい
difficult to do
～にくい attaches to the ます-stem of a verb (the part before ます) and turns it into an い-adjective meaning the action is hard to do: 読みます becomes 読みにくい, “hard to read”.
It maps to English “hard to ~” or “difficult to ~” and usually describes a practical difficulty, the action is possible, just troublesome.
1. Physical or practical difficulty
The most common use describes something whose shape, size, or design makes an action difficult.
この字は読みにくいです。
“This handwriting is hard to read.”
- この = this
- 字（じ）= character, handwriting
- は = topic marker
- 読みにくいです（よみにくいです）= is hard to read
2. Awkward or socially difficult actions
～にくい also covers things that are hard to do because they are awkward or uncomfortable, especially with verbs of speaking.
本当のことは言いにくい。
“The truth is hard to say.”
- 本当（ほんとう）= the truth, real
- の = links the two nouns (of)
- こと = thing (abstract)
- は = topic marker
- 言いにくい（いいにくい）= hard to say, awkward to bring up
How to form it
Verb ます-stem + にくい (the result conjugates like an い-adjective: にくかった, にくくて)
- 読む（よむ）= to read → 読みにくい（よみにくい）= hard to read
- 使う（つかう）= to use → 使いにくい（つかいにくい）= hard to use
- 食べる（たべる）= to eat → 食べにくい（たべにくい）= hard to eat
Key idea
～にくい rates an action as troublesome but doable: the handwriting can be read, the tool can be used, it just takes effort.
Other N3 grammar
Updated .