がたい: very difficult to; hard to ~

がたい means very difficult to; hard to ~ (emotionally or physically challenging). It is a JLPT N3 grammar pattern used to express that an action is extremely difficult to perform, often due to emotional resistance.

This grammar point often appears in neutral to formal Japanese. If you want to express extreme difficulty, often with emotional or psychological weight, がたい is a useful pattern to learn.

What does がたい mean?

Use がたい when you want to express that an action is extremely difficult to perform, often due to emotional resistance.

Natural translations include:

• very difficult to; hard to ~
• very difficult to; hard to ~ (emotionally or physically challenging)
• very difficult to; hard to

How to form がたい

Verb stem + がたい

Examples of the pattern:

• 信じがたい
• 理解しがたい
• 受け入れがたい

When is がたい used?

Use がたい in situations like:

• expressing hesitation
• emotional difficulty
• physical challenge

Tone and register:

• neutral to formal
• Common in expressing hesitation, test questions, and written narratives

がたい example sentences

• そのニュースは信じがたい。 \u2014 That news is hard to believe.
• 彼の成功は予想しがたかった。 \u2014 His success was difficult to predict.
• 言いがたい気持ちがある。 \u2014 There’s a feeling that’s hard to put into words.
• この問題は解決しがたい。 \u2014 This problem is hard to solve.
• 親の死は受け入れがたい。 \u2014 A parent’s death is difficult to accept.

Nuance of がたい

The key nuance is often implies emotional or psychological resistance, not just physical difficulty.

This matters because 〜がたい is more than hard. It suggests that something feels almost impossible because of the weight it carries. It is common in serious or reflective contexts..

For example:

• In expressing hesitation, it sounds natural and specific.
• Compared with にくい, it carries a different weight and implication.

がたい vs にくい

Both がたい and にくい can express very difficult to, but they are different.

がたい:

• means very difficult to do; carries emotional or psychological weight

にくい:

• means hard to do; usually physical or procedural difficulty

Quick contrast examples:

• 食べにくい。 \u2014 Hard to eat (physically awkward).
• 食べがたい。 \u2014 Difficult to eat (emotionally hard, e.g., food after a loss).

Common mistakes with がたい

Watch out for these mistakes:

• Using it for simple physical inconvenience where 〜にくい is better
• Attaching it to the dictionary form instead of the verb stem
• Using it in casual conversation where it sounds overly dramatic

Is がたい on the JLPT?

Yes. がたい is commonly taught as JLPT N3 grammar.

That means learners should be able to:

• recognize it in reading
• understand its nuance in context
• use it in simple original sentences

Practice questions for がたい

Try making your own sentences with these prompts:

• Say something is hard to believe.
• Express that a situation is difficult to accept.
• Describe a problem that is hard to solve.

Learn がたい with Kanjiru

If you want to review がたい together with kanji, vocabulary, and other JLPT N3 patterns, Kanjiru helps you practice Japanese in short, focused sessions.

Browse more lessons here:

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• JLPT N3 grammar lessons