N2#grammar#n2#expression#formal

N2 Integrated Dialogue Lesson 3: The usage of ～にかたくない

This lesson covers the N2 grammar point ～にかたくない, used to express that something is not difficult to imagine or understand.

Context

Understanding the situation

Imagine you are reading a news report about a company's sudden bankruptcy. You might think, 'It is not hard to imagine the employees are feeling anxious.' In Japanese, when you want to emphasize that a certain state of mind or situation is easily inferable, you use a specific formal structure.

This pattern is often found in written Japanese, news reports, or formal speeches. It conveys a sense of empathy or objective observation regarding someone else's feelings or a predictable outcome.

Explanation

The structure of ～にかたくない

The grammar point ～にかたくない (ni katakunai) literally means 'it is not hard to [verb]'. It is almost exclusively used with verbs of perception like 想像する (to imagine) or 理解する (to understand).

Verb (Dictionary Form)にかたくない

This construction is used to state that a conclusion is obvious based on the circumstances. It is a formal way of saying 'It is easy to imagine...' or 'One can easily understand...'

Watch out

This pattern is highly restricted in its collocations. It is almost always used with '想像する' (to imagine) or '理解する' (to understand). Do not use it with arbitrary verbs.

Examples

Examples in context

Observe how this structure adds a formal, analytical tone to the sentences.

長年(ながねん)の努力(どりょく)が報われた彼の喜びは、想像(そうぞう)にかたくない。

It is not hard to imagine his joy, now that his many years of effort have been rewarded.

長年ながねんmany years努力どりょくeffort想像そうぞうimaginationにかたくないにかたくないnot hard to

彼(かれ)がこれほど怒っている(おこっている)理由は、理解(りかい)にかたくない。

It is not hard to understand the reason why he is this angry.

彼かれhe怒っているおこっているis angry理解りかいunderstandingにかたくないにかたくないnot hard to

突然の解雇で、彼らが不安を感じていることは想像【にかたくない】。

Hint: Use the grammar point learned in this lesson.

It is not hard to imagine that they are feeling anxious due to the sudden dismissal.

Usage

Nuance and Register

This is a formal, literary expression. It is rarely used in casual, spoken conversation.

Formal vs. Casual

～にかたくない

Formal/Written. Emphasizes logical deduction.

想像にかたくない

～のは簡単だ

Casual/Spoken. Plain expression.

想像するのは簡単だ

Which situation is most appropriate for using ～にかたくない?

Talking to a close friend about what to eat for lunch.
✓ Writing an analytical essay or a formal news report.
Asking a stranger for directions on the street.
Sending a text message to a family member.

～にかたくない is a formal, literary expression used for objective analysis, making it suitable for essays or reports.

Deep dive

Advanced usage notes

While the pattern is rigid, it is important to note its grammatical origin.

The 'かたくない' part is derived from the classical Japanese 'かたし' (hard/difficult). In modern Japanese, this is a fossilized expression. You will almost never see 'かたくない' used independently to mean 'not hard' in other contexts; it only exists as this specific set phrase.

Summary

The pattern ～にかたくない is a formal way to state that something is easily imagined or understood. It is primarily used in writing and formal speech with verbs like 想像 and 理解.

想像

そうぞうnoun

imagination

理解

りかいnoun

understanding

長年

ながねんnoun

many years

努力

どりょくnoun

effort