Lesson 25
In this lesson, let’s take a look at how to say that something is easy or difficult to do. To say this, you need to use the noun form of verbs, ending with -기.
To be easy to + Verb = -기 쉽다
Ex)
하기 쉽다 = to be easy to do
잊기 쉽다 = to be easy to forget
먹기 쉽다 = to be easy to eat
사기 쉽다 = to be easy to buy
To be difficult to + Verb = -기 어렵다
Ex)
하기 어렵다 = to be difficult to do
찾기 어렵다 = to be difficult to find
“Verb stem + -기” is a noun form; in principle, there has to be a marker after it, but in the forms above, the marker is dropped.
Q: Which markers were dropped?
A: It depends on the context, but -기 쉽다/어렵다 can be written either as -기에 쉽다/어렵다 or -기가 쉽다/어렵다.
-기에 쉽다/어렵다
When you use the marker -에, it means that something is easy/difficult FOR + Verb-ing.
-기가 쉽다/어렵다
When you use the marker -가, it means that DOING something is easy/difficult.
Let’s look at some examples.
Example #1
제 이름은 발음하기(가) 어려워요.
= My name is difficult to pronounce.
= As for my name, pronouncing it is difficult.
Example #2
이건 만들기(가) 어려워요.
= This is difficult to make.
= As for this, making it is difficult.
Example #3
이건 어린이가 사용하기(에) 어려워요.
= This is difficult for a child to use.
= Using this is difficult for a child.
* In this example, since the subject of the verb 사용하다 is 어린이 and 어린이 is followed by -가, the subject marker, it sounds rather repetitive to use -가 again, so in this kind of sentence, people tend to use -에 instead of -가 before 쉬워요/어려워요.
Example #4
사용하기가 쉬워요.
= It is easy to use.
사용하기에 쉬워요.
= Using it is easy.
* In this case, -가 쉬워요 and -에 쉬워요 both work because the sentences are short.
In all of the above sentences, you can drop -가 or -에 from -기가 or -기에.
1. 제 이름은 발음하기가 어려워요.
→ 제 이름은 발음하기 어려워요.
2. 이건 만들기가 어려워요.
→ 이건 만들기 어려워요.
3. 이건 어린이가 사용하기에 어려워요.
→ 이건 어린이가 사용하기 어려워요.
4. 사용하기가 쉬워요.
→ 사용하기 쉬워요.
5. 사용하기에 쉬워요.
→ 사용하기 쉬워요.
Other words can also be used with “Verb stem + -기(가/에)”.
Examples
-기(가) 편리하다 / -기(에) 편리하다
= to be convenient to + Verb / to be convenient for + Verb-ing
-기(가) 좋다 / -기(에) 좋다
= to be good to + Verb / to be good for + Verb-ing
-기(가) 불편하다 / -기(에) 불편하다
= to be inconvenient to + Verb / to be inconvenient for + Verb-ing