にかたくない
It is not difficult to ~; one can readily ~. Used with a small set of words of imagining or inferring (想像, 察する, etc.) to say that a situation, outcome, or feeling is easy to picture or understand.
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
A formal written expression found in essays, commentary, and speeches, where the writer infers someone's feelings or a likely outcome from the circumstances. As understatement, 'not hard to imagine' presents the situation as highly plausible or readily understandable, but not necessarily as certain or already realized. By far the most common form is 想像にかたくない. Unlike がたい, which says something is hard to do, にかたくない says something is easy to imagine.
Do not attach it to ordinary action verbs such as 食べる or 書く; it combines only with words of imagining, inferring, or understanding.
Do not read it as asserting a fact; 想像にかたくない can describe a plausible future outcome, not only one that has happened.
Learners should avoid it in casual conversation, where 想像できる or すぐわかる sounds more natural.
- がたいN3Opposite meanings: 「にかたくない」means 'it is not hard to imagine,' while 「がたい」means 'hard to do,' whether psychologically or objectively. 「がたい」attaches to the masu-stem, as in 「想像しがたい」. Both are literary, and they cannot be interchanged.
- にたえる / にたえないN1「にたえる」means 'withstand / be worth,' while 「にたえない」means 'unbearable' or, when attached to words like 「感謝」, expresses deep emotion, as in 「感謝にたえない」('deeply grateful'). 「にかたくない」attaches only to words like 「想像」and 「察する」and means 'not hard to imagine.' The meanings differ, so they cannot be interchanged.
- までもないN1「までもない」means 'no need to,' i.e., the action is unnecessary or superfluous; it attaches to plain dictionary-form verbs and is used in both written and spoken language. 「にかたくない」means 'not hard to,' attaches only to words like 「想像」and 「察する」, and is literary; they cannot be interchanged.
- にあたらないN1「にあたらない」means 'not worth / no need to,' negating the need for reactions such as surprise, worry, or blame; 「にかたくない」means 'very easy to imagine' and attaches only to words of imagining or understanding. Both are literary, and they cannot be interchanged.
- べくもないN1「べくもない」means 'utterly impossible,' while 「にかたくない」means 'very easy to imagine'; they cannot be interchanged. 「べくもない」attaches to the dictionary form (suru-verbs often take the form 「すべくもない」) and commonly pairs with verbs like 「望む」and 「知る」.
- に足りないN1「に足りない」means 'not worth / insufficient for,' with a dismissive nuance; 「にかたくない」means 'very easy to imagine.' The attachment of 「に足りない」is not limited to words of imagining or understanding, so the meanings differ and they cannot be interchanged.
Unlike がたい (hard to do) and べくもない (cannot possibly hope for), にかたくない says that something is easy to imagine or infer. までもない and にあたらない mean 'no need to' or 'not warranted,' while に足りない and にたえる/にたえない judge whether something is worth doing or bearable, not whether it is easy to infer.
