づらい | Grammar

Structure

[verb ます-stem] + づらい

Description

づらい means "hard to do" from the point of view of the person doing it: the action is uncomfortable, awkward or painful for them. It goes on the ます-stem of a verb – 歩き, 言い, 食べ – and the result is an い-adjective. It comes from つらい, "painful", and is written in kana.

。

These shoes are uncomfortable to walk in.

。

It's hard to tell him the truth.

。

This pill is big and hard to swallow.

× 言うづらい → 言いづらい

The thing that is hard to deal with becomes the subject, so it takes は or が where the plain verb had を: 本当のことを言う becomes 本当のことが言いづらい.

づらい changes like any い-adjective: づらくない, づらかった, づらくて.

。

It was hard to tell my boss I wanted a day off.

づらい or にくい

is the neutral "hard to do", and the two overlap: and are both fine, and づらい puts more weight on how it feels to the reader. Only にくい works for things that happen by themselves, with no one doing them – breaking, staining, burning.

。

This glass doesn't break easily.

× このコップは割れづらい → このコップは割れにくい

Examples

。

This medicine is big and hard to swallow.

。

There are things that are hard to discuss with her.

、。

I injured my foot, so it's hard to walk.

きごう？

Isn't this chair uncomfortable to sit in?

。

It was hard to tell my boss that I wanted to take a day off.

。

These chopsticks are short and hard to use.

。

Your voice is quiet and hard to hear.

。

It's hard to breathe when wearing a mask.

、。

This is something that's hard to talk about even with friends.

。

I still feel that it's hard to work at the new workplace.

。

The text in this book was small and hard to read.

。

I had trouble running in unfamiliar shoes because they were hard to run in.

References

Difficult II ～がたい～づらいimabi.org
づらいBunpro