手軽|てがるtegaru[0]heiban (flat)

1. na-adjective, nouneasy; simple; informal; offhand; cheap
   年来ねんらいの経済けいざい病びょうには手軽てがるにきく万能薬ばんのうやくなどありません。↗

   There is no easy cure-all for old economic ills.

• Synonym簡単かんたんNeutralThe broadest term: it simply means easy or uncomplicated, as in 「簡単な問題」; 「手軽」 stresses that something takes no effort and can be done on the spot.
• Synonym簡易かんいNeutralDescribes simplified facilities or procedures, as in 「簡易トイレ」「簡易裁判所」; the emphasis is on simplification, while 「手軽」 is about little effort.
• Synonym簡便かんべんWrittenWritten/formal prose for handy and convenient, as in 「簡便な方法」; closest to 「手軽」 in meaning, stressing that something saves trouble.
• Synonym安直あんちょくNeutralOpting for the easy or cheap way, as in 「安直な発想」; usually derogatory, while 「手軽」 is a neutral word.
• SynonymイージーNeutralA loanword for easy or casual, as in 「イージーミス」; it can also imply sloppiness, with a nuance of doing things half-heartedly.
• Synonym安易あんいNeutralCareless or taking the easy route, as in 「安易な考え」; usually carries criticism, whereas 「手軽」 is said without any judgement.
• Synonym容易よういWrittenWritten/formal prose for easy, as in 「容易ではない」; it speaks to how low a task's difficulty is, while 「手軽」 speaks to how little trouble it takes.
• SynonymたやすいNeutralAn i-adjective for something that can be done with ease, as in 「たやすく解ける」; it stresses low difficulty, while 「手軽」 stresses little effort.
• Synonym楽チンらくチンCasualColloquial for easy and comfortable, as in 「この椅子は楽チン」; warm and casual in feel, so keep it out of formal settings.
• Synonym手軽いてがるいNeutralAn i-adjective meaning much the same as 「手軽」, but rarely used; the usual choice is 「手軽な」.
• Related気楽きらくNeutralAbout feeling carefree and unburdened, as in 「気楽な一人暮らし」; it is a state of mind, whereas 「手軽」 describes a task that is easy to do.
• RelatedやさしいNeutralEasy in the sense of undemanding, as in 「易しい問題」; mostly said of the difficulty of questions or texts, while 「手軽」 is about tasks taking little effort.
• RelatedやすいNeutralMostly a suffix, 「〜やすい」, meaning easy to do, as in 「読みやすい」; rarely used alone, and for cheap the word is 「安い」.
• RelatedシンプルNeutralA loanword for simple and unadorned, as in 「シンプルなデザイン」; it is about a structure or design not being fussy, not about saving effort.
• Related平易へいいWrittenWritten/formal prose for plain and easy to follow, as in 「平易な言葉」; used mainly of writing and explanations, not of tasks being convenient.
• Related生易しいなまやさしいNeutralNearly always takes a negative, as in 「生易しいことではない」 (no simple matter); it is hardly ever used affirmatively on its own.
• RelatedスムーズNeutralA loanword for smooth, as in 「スムーズに進む」; it is about a process running without a hitch, not about few steps or little effort.
• RelatedわかりやすいNeutralEasy to understand, as in 「分かりやすい説明」「分かりやすい場所」; it is about clarity, while 「手軽」 is about saving effort.
• Related造作ないぞうさないWrittenWritten/formal prose for taking no trouble at all; rare in modern usage, with 「簡単」 or 「手軽」 the everyday choices.
• RelatedたわいないNeutralChildish or effortless, as in 「たわいなく負ける」; often dismissive in tone, whereas 「手軽」 implies no judgement of the person.
• RelatedちょろいCasualColloquial for a piece of cake, as in 「ちょろい仕事」; dismissive in tone, and can also describe a person as simple-minded and easily fooled.
• Related軽易けいいWrittenWritten/formal prose for light and easy; rare, found mainly in official documents such as 「軽易な業務」; in daily speech say 「手軽」.
• Antonym面倒めんどうNeutralThe direct opposite: troublesome and bothersome. Also appears in 「面倒を見る」, looking after someone.
• Antonym厄介やっかいNeutralThe other opposite: thorny and hard to deal with. Also in 「厄介になる」, coming under someone's care.

When the point is that something takes no effort and can be done on the spot, use 「手軽」: 「手軽な料理」「手軽に始める」. For plain simplicity say 「簡単」, for undemanding questions or texts 「易しい」, and for a careless, easy-way-out nuance 「安易」. Written alternatives include 「簡便」, 「平易」 and 「容易」; colloquial ones 「楽チン」 and 「ちょろい」. The opposite is 「面倒」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 手間てまが掛かからず簡単かんたんなさま。