Word
簡単
Meaning in Englishsimple, easy, brief
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
Related sentences
N3
子供でも分かるくらい簡単です
Kodomo demo wakaru kurai kantan desu
It is easy enough for children to understand
N3
そんな簡単な問題が解けないわけがない
Sonna kantan na mondai ga tokenai wake ga nai
There is no way you cannot solve something so simple
N3
簡単どころか想像以上に難しかった
Kantan dokoro ka souzou ijou ni muzukashikatta
Far from easy it was harder than expected
N4
この問題は簡単かもしれません。
Kono mondai wa kantan kamoshiremasen.
This problem may be easy.
N4
この問題は簡単なはずです。
Kono mondai wa kantan na hazu desu.
This problem should be easy.
N4
そんな簡単な話じゃないと思う
Sonna kantan na hanashi ja nai to omou
I think it is not that simple
N4
最初は簡単に感じても後で難しくなることもあるから注意してね
Saisho wa kantan ni kanjite mo ato de muzukashiku naru koto mo aru kara chuui shite ne
Even if it seems easy at first it may become difficult later so be careful
Word context
What it means
What does 簡単 mean? It denotes something that can be done with little difficulty, indicating a straightforward and uncomplicated task or explanation in everyday usage. The core idea is that the subject requires minimal effort to understand or perform.
Main meanings
- easy to perform or understand; often applied to tasks, instructions, or explanations
- not complex or elaborate; implies straightforward design or method
- may carry a nuance of accessibility or lack of challenge, sometimes with a neutral or positive tone
How to use it
Used to describe tasks or explanations that are straightforward or not complicated; commonly appears in predicates with だ/です and in prenominal form 簡単な before nouns; suitable for casual and neutral contexts, including instructions, explanations, and summaries of procedures.
Variants and close terms
- 易しい (yasashii) — easy, yasashii
- 簡易な (kan'i na) — simple, kan'i na
- 難しい (muzukashii) — difficult, muzukashii
Composition
- 簡 — conveys the idea of simplicity or conciseness in compounds
- 単 — means single or one, contributing the sense of a single unit or item
- Combined as 簡単, the word expresses a single, uncomplicated thing that is easy to handle
Word class
adjective (na-adjective)
Kanji