24961
I only know that both mean "easy". But when would I use 簡単{かんたん} or 易しい{やさしい}
respectively?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-11T20:18:48.540
24956
2017-06-05T12:08:44.193
2015-06-11T20:41:09.230
1628
7355
question
word-choice
Difference between 簡単{かんたん} and 易しい{やさしい}
**Overall:**

> 簡単(な) means "simple"
>
> 易し(い) means "easy"

* * *

簡単(な) means "simple" rather than easy. For instance, simplified Chinese
characters are known as 簡体字 (simplified characters) using the first kanji of
this compound. Simple is an excellent English translation for the word, and it
meets the meaning and feeling of the word well.

易しい is firstly an adjective. You can use it as you use "easy" in English,
rather than "simple" for 簡単. For instance saying a test is easy, or that it's
easy to achieve some goal, like an easy test, all use this word. 易し **さ**
refers to the "easiness" of something, using the same さ suffix seen in 長さ and
大きさ to describe "-ness" of some qualitative adjective.

A 3rd choice you left out that also helps us understand 易しい better is 易{やす}い.
The same kanji is used in this as 易しい, and the word is appended to the end of
verbs to say that something was easy **to do**. 例えば

> 日本語が分かり易いです （英：Japanese is easy to understand）
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-11T22:31:31.310
24958
2015-06-11T23:31:43.060
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
-1
9185
24956
answer
As always, "translated words" can often get in the way of understanding the
words in the context of their original language. You would need to "forget"
for a moment the word "easy". That is just too easy a definition.

There is some interchangeability between the two words, especially in more
informal speech, but there actually exists a difference in meaning between the
two, making the words uninterchangeable in many situations.

> 「簡単」 has to do with an **_objective_** kind of simplisity and brevity.

Suppose I wrote my answer to this question in just two short sentences. That
would certainly be a 「簡単な[回答]{かいとう}」, but not necessarily a 「易しい回答」. It is
simple and brief, sure, but is it " **user-friendly** "? If you did not feel
my short answer helped you understand the matter much, you would not call my
answer 「易しい」.

People sometimes have to have a 「簡単な」 dinner, write a 「簡単な」 email, do a 「簡単な」
bedmaking or car wash, etc. for a lack of time or other reasons. Point is you
do not call any of these 「易しい」.

Following me so far?

> 「易しい」 is often more of a **_subjective_** opinion.

It is originally the same word as 「[優]{やさ}しい」= "gentle", "friendly", etc.,
which is why I used the term "user-friendly" a while back.

If you find, for instance, this explanation of mine easy to understand so far,
you could call it 「易しい」, but since I have already written more than a few
sentences, you would **_not_** call it 「簡単」. I would feel like I have wasted
my time if anyone called it 「簡単な[説明]{せつめい}」.

So, as I stated in the beginning, in informal real-life settings, native
speakers (myself included) sometimes do use the two words interchangeablly,
but there is a not-so-small difference officially and historically.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-11T23:37:55.850
24961
2017-06-05T12:08:44.193
2017-06-05T12:08:44.193
24956
answer