容易
róngyì
The English word 'easy' can be translated into Chinese as 容易 (róngyì) or 簡單 / 简单.
Meaning: requiring little skill or effort (adj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 容易 | róngyì |
| 簡單 / 简单 | jiǎndān |
容易 is used to describe something that requires little skill or effort. It can also be used to mean that something is 'prone to' or 'likely to' happen, such as being prone to catching a cold. To say 'very easy' in a standard sentence, you will frequently see the adverb 很 placed before 容易.
Which one should you use?
While both can be translated as 'easy', they have different focuses. 容易 (róngyì) emphasizes a lack of effort or difficulty in performing an action. In contrast, 簡單 / 简单 (jiǎndān) emphasizes that something is simple or lacks complexity in its nature or method.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective 容易 is commonly placed directly before a verb to indicate that an action is easy to perform, such as 'easy to learn'.
How do you pronounce it?
róngyì
Did you know?
- The character 簡 in 簡單 originally referred to bamboo slips used for writing, implying that a 'simple' text was one that didn't require many slips.
- The word 簡單 / 简单 is actually a 'Wasei kango', meaning it is a Chinese-character word that was coined in Japan and then borrowed back into Chinese.
- In certain contexts, calling a task 簡單 can be perceived as a slight to the person who performed it, as it suggests the task lacked any complexity or value.
Examples in context
- 第二课容易。Lesson Two is easy.This sentence uses 容易 to describe the difficulty level of a lesson.Tatoeba #10696066 by GlossaMatik, translation #276007 by CK
- 纸很容易着火。Paper is very easy to set on fire.This sentence uses 容易 to describe how easily something can happen.Tatoeba #2085464 by sadhen, translation #7767706 by sharris123
- 他找工作容易。It was easy for him to find a job.This sentence uses 容易 to describe the ease of finding a job.Tatoeba #5611533 by verdastelo9604, translation #1827249 by Amastan
- 这个问题很简单。This problem is easy.
- 这道数学题不难解决。It's not difficult to solve this math problem.
- 修理这台电脑很省事。It's easy to fix this computer.
- 102 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a difficult math test at school.
- 浩然 Haoran你觉得今天的考试容易吗？Nǐ juéde jīntiān de kǎoshì róngyì ma?Do you think today's exam was easy?
- 雨婷 Yuting一点都不容易。Yīdiǎn dōu bù róngyì.It wasn't easy at all.
- 浩然 Haoran也是，最后两道题很难。Yě shì, zuìhòu liǎng dào tí hěn nán.True, the last two questions were very hard.
- 雨婷 Yuting浩然，你做得怎么样？Hàorán, nǐ zuò de zěnmeyàng?Haoran, how did you do?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “easy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 容易, 簡單, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
