Compound Adjectives/Adverbs: 〜yasui・〜nikui・〜rashii・〜ppoi (N4-N3) [JLPT N4]
By Nihongo to Japan · Updated July 3, 2026
「書きやすいペン」「分かりにくい説明」「子供らしい」「水っぽい」 — a full rundown of suffix-adjective nuances.
Compound Adjectives/Adverbs: 〜yasui・〜nikui・〜rashii・〜ppoi
This set are suffixes that attach to words to form adjectives: 〜やすい = ‘easy to 〜' (書きやすいペン = a pen easy to write with); 〜にくい = ‘hard to 〜' (読みにくい字 = hard-to-read characters), the opposite of やすい; 〜らしい = ‘befitting a 〜, typical of 〜' (子供らしい = childlike, 男らしい = manly, positive); 〜っぽい = ‘having a 〜 feel, somewhat 〜' (子供っぽい = childish, 水っぽい = watery, often negative). E.g. 「読みやすい本」 (an easy-to-read book), 「分かりにくい説明」 (a hard-to-understand explanation). ⚠️ やすい/にくい attach to the verb continuative; らしい/っぽい attach to a noun. ⚠️ らしい (positive, typical) vs っぽい (often negative, like).
🧠 Core nuance: attaching to words to express easy/hard/typical/having-a-feel
The core is suffixes attaching to words, changing or supplementing the meaning: ① 〜やすい — ‘easy to 〜, good to 〜' (attach to verb continuative: 書きやすい = easy to write, わかりやすい = easy to understand, 壊れやすい = breaks easily); ② 〜にくい — ‘hard to 〜, not good to 〜' (the opposite of やすい: 読みにくい = hard to read, わかりにくい = hard to understand, 言いにくい = hard to say); ③ 〜らしい — ‘befitting a 〜, typical of 〜' (attach to a noun, a positive evaluation fitting the type: 子供らしい = childlike, 学生らしい = student-like, 男らしい = manly); ④ 〜っぽい — ‘having a 〜 feel, somewhat 〜, like 〜' (attach to a noun/verb, often negative or ‘like but not really': 子供っぽい = childish (immature), 水っぽい = watery, 忘れっぽい = forgetful). ⚠️ Core contrast: らしい (positive, fitting the type: 子供らしい = with the innocence a child should have) vs っぽい (often negative, superficially like: 子供っぽい = immature, childish)! ⚠️ Connection: やすい/にくい attach to the verb continuative (ます-form minus ます: 読み→読みやすい); らしい/っぽい attach to a noun (the verb continuative can also take っぽい: 忘れっぽい). ⚠️ 「にくい」's near-synonym 「づらい」 (言いづらい = hard to bring up, leaning psychologically hard). A rundown of N4-N3 suffix-adjectives.
📌 How to Connect
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb continuative ＋ やすい | easy to 〜 | 読みやすい |
| verb continuative ＋ にくい | hard to 〜 | 読みにくい |
| noun ＋ らしい | befitting a 〜 (positive) | 子供らしい |
| noun/verb ＋ っぽい | having a 〜 feel (often negative) | 子供っぽい |
💬 Example Sentences
- このペンは書きやすい。(This pen is easy to write with.) — やすい
- 先生の説明は分かりにくかった。(The teacher's explanation was hard to understand.) — にくい
- 無邪気で子供らしい笑顔だ。(An innocent, childlike smile.) — らしい (positive)
- もう大人なのに、考え方が子供っぽい。(He's an adult, yet his thinking is childish.) — っぽい (negative)
- このスープは水っぽいね、もっと濃くして。(This soup is watery — make it richer.) — っぽい (negative)
🔄 Compare: やすい vs にくい vs らしい vs っぽい
| Suffix | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜やすい | “easy to 〜” (verb continuative) | 書きやすい |
| 〜にくい | “hard to 〜” (opposite of やすい, verb continuative) | 読みにくい |
| 〜らしい | “befitting a 〜” (typical, positive, attaches to noun) | 子供らしい |
| 〜っぽい | “having a 〜 feel, like 〜” (often negative, noun/verb) | 子供っぽい/水っぽい |
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- らしい vs っぽい: らしい = befitting a … (typical, positive: 子供らしい); っぽい = having a … feel, superficially like (often negative: 子供っぽい) — entirely different!
- Connection: やすい/にくい attach to the verb continuative (読みやすい); らしい/っぽい attach to a noun (子供らしい).
- にくい is the opposite of やすい: 書きやすい (easy to write) ↔ 書きにくい (hard to write).
- っぽい often negative: っぽい mostly carries a negative or ‘like but not really' nuance (水っぽい, 安っぽい, 忘れっぽい).
💡 Nuance & When to Use
Suffix-adjectives: 〜やすい (easy to 〜, verb continuative: 書きやすい), 〜にくい (hard to 〜, opposite of やすい: 読みにくい), 〜らしい (befitting a 〜, typical, positive, attaches to a noun: 子供らしい), 〜っぽい (having a 〜 feel, superficially like, often negative, attaches to a noun/verb: 子供っぽい, 水っぽい). ⚠️ Most important: らしい (positive, typical) vs っぽい (often negative, like). やすい/にくい attach to the verb continuative, らしい/っぽい to a noun. A must at N4-N3.
🎯 JLPT Exam Tips
- N4-N3 core: 〜やすい (easy), 〜にくい (hard, opposite), 〜らしい (befitting a …, typical positive), 〜っぽい (having a … feel, often negative).
- Core distinction: らしい (positive, fitting the type: 子供らしい) vs っぽい (often negative, superficially like: 子供っぽい)!
- Connection: やすい/にくい attach to the verb continuative; らしい/っぽい attach to a noun; にくい's near-synonym づらい (leaning psychologically hard).
🖊️ Practice Quiz
Q1. 「この本は___。」(this book is easy to read)
(A) 読みやすい (B) 読みにくい (C) 読みらしい (D) 読みっぽい
Q2. 「___彼女の笑顔。」(her innocent, childlike smile — positive)
(A) 子供っぽい (B) 子供らしい (C) both A and B (D) 子供やすい
Q3. What is the antonym of 「〜にくい」?
(A) 〜らしい (B) 〜っぽい (C) 〜やすい (D) 〜づらい
Q4. 「___スープだね、もっと濃くして。」(the soup is a bit watery — negative)
(A) 水らしい (B) 水っぽい (C) 水やすい (D) 水らしくない
Q5. 「あの人は言い___ことをはっきり言える人だ。」(that person can clearly say things that are hard to say)
(A) やすい (B) にくい (C) らしい (D) っぽい
Answer Key
1. (A) 読みやすい ── 読む → 読み (ます-stem) ＋ やすい = easy to read.
2. (B) 子供らしい ── 子供らしい = befitting a child / innocent (positive). 子供っぽい would be ‘childish' (negative).
3. (C) 〜やすい ── にくい (hard to) ↔ やすい (easy to).
4. (B) 水っぽい ── 〜っぽい = -ish/tending toward; 水っぽい = watery (negative).
5. (B) にくい ── 言いにくい = hard to say: 言いにくいことをはっきり言える.