N3200/219

がたい

V stem + がたい耐える( stem )+ がたい

Meanings

  • Hard to do
  • Difficult to believe
  • Unbearable or hard to endure

About this pattern

Explanation

がたい attaches to the stem of a verb to express that something is difficult or nearly impossible to do, often due to its nature or the speaker’s perception. It emphasizes a subjective difficulty rather than an objective one, and it can also describe something that is hard to bear or accept. It is relatively formal and common in written Japanese or careful speech.

Learn in context

Example sentences

信じる → 信じがたい話だ。

It’s a story that’s hard to believe.

彼の説明は理解しがたい。

His explanation is difficult to understand.

この痛みは耐えがたい。

This pain is unbearable.

その状況は受け入れがたい。

That situation is hard to accept.