How to Say ‘Voices are hard to hear.’ in Japanese
声が聞こえにくいです。
koe ga kikoe nikui desu
[koh-eh ga kee-KOH-eh nee-KOO-ee dess]
💬 Usage Tip: Add にくい to a verb's stem to say it's hard to do. Here that's 聞き + にくい → 聞こえにくい. Swap in やすい for easy: 聞こえやすい "easy to hear".
Phrase Breakdown
声が
koe ga
(your) voice
声 (koe) means 'voice'. が marks it as the subject. Say it ko-e-ga.
声が大きいです。
(Your) voice is loud.
Words in this phrase
声
koe
[koh-eh]
voice
Refers to someone's voice or vocal tone.
その声、本当に声がすてきですね。
That voice is really lovely.
が
ga
[ga]
subject marker
A particle marking the subject of the sentence.
興味がある分野を教えてください。
Please tell me the field you are interested in.
聞こえにくいです。
kikoe nikui desu
is hard to hear
聞こえる means 'can be heard'. Adding にくい means 'hard to ~'. Say it ki-ko-e-ni-ku-i.
音楽が聞こえにくいです。
The music is hard to hear.
Words in this phrase
聞こえ
kikoe
[kee-KOH-eh]
be heard; be audible
Stem of the verb 聞こえる, meaning a sound reaches your ears naturally.
音楽が聞こえます。
I can hear music.
にくい
nikui
[nee-KOO-ee]
hard to; difficult to
Suffix added to a verb stem to say an action is difficult to do.
この字は読みにくいです。
This writing is hard to read.
です
desu
[dess]
is; polite copula
A polite sentence ending used in formal conversation.
少し伺いたいです。
I would like to ask a little.
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