Japanese with Manga

Difficult to call out with 〜にくい

Grammar Explanation: Difficult to do with 〜にくい

Manga panel from ARIA The MASTERPIECE showing example of Difficult to call out with 〜にくい.
ARIA The MASTERPIECE » Volume 5 » Page 260

A trip to the vet reveals to Alice that her kitten Maa-kun is a girl, not a boy.

アリス:
「どうしましょう。『まぁちゃん』じゃ語呂(ごろ)が悪(わる)くて呼(よ)びにくいです」
“What should I do? 'Maa-chan' sounds bad and is difficult to call out.”
Literal: “What should I do? With 'Maa-chan', the sound is bad and it is difficult to call.”
灯里(あかり):
「(そっちなの？)」
“(That's the issue?)”
藍華(あいか):
「今(いま)まで通(どお)り『まぁくん』でいいんじゃない」
“Isn't it fine to stick with 'Maa-kun'?”

Key Points

1〜にくい = difficult to do
  • Attach 〜にくい to the verb stem to say an action is hard to perform.
  • 呼(よ)びにくい means “hard to call”.
2語呂が悪い explains why
  • 語呂(ごろ)が悪(わる)い means the sound or wording feels awkward and does not roll off the tongue well.
  • ちゃん is an affectionate, informal suffix attached to names, used mainly for children, close friends, and family members.
  • 君(くん) is an honorific suffix used after names, typically for boys or men. It’s commonly used by teachers addressing male students, by friends among young people, or by superiors addressing junior colleagues, and can also be used for girls in childhood or casual contexts.
ARIA The MASTERPIECE © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.