Difference between 簡単{かんたん} and 易しい{やさしい}


I only know that both mean "easy". But when would I use 簡単{かんたん} or 易しい{やさしい}
respectively?




As always, "translated words" can often get in the way of understanding the
words in the context of their original language. You would need to "forget"
for a moment the word "easy". That is just too easy a definition.

There is some interchangeability between the two words, especially in more
informal speech, but there actually exists a difference in meaning between the
two, making the words uninterchangeable in many situations.

> 「簡単」 has to do with an **_objective_** kind of simplisity and brevity.

Suppose I wrote my answer to this question in just two short sentences. That
would certainly be a 「簡単な[回答]{かいとう}」, but not necessarily a 「易しい回答」. It is
simple and brief, sure, but is it " **user-friendly** "? If you did not feel
my short answer helped you understand the matter much, you would not call my
answer 「易しい」.

People sometimes have to have a 「簡単な」 dinner, write a 「簡単な」 email, do a 「簡単な」
bedmaking or car wash, etc. for a lack of time or other reasons. Point is you
do not call any of these 「易しい」.

Following me so far?

> 「易しい」 is often more of a **_subjective_** opinion.

It is originally the same word as 「[優]{やさ}しい」= "gentle", "friendly", etc.,
which is why I used the term "user-friendly" a while back.

If you find, for instance, this explanation of mine easy to understand so far,
you could call it 「易しい」, but since I have already written more than a few
sentences, you would **_not_** call it 「簡単」. I would feel like I have wasted
my time if anyone called it 「簡単な[説明]{せつめい}」.

So, as I stated in the beginning, in informal real-life settings, native
speakers (myself included) sometimes do use the two words interchangeablly,
but there is a not-so-small difference officially and historically.




As always, "translated words" can often get in the way of understanding the
words in the context of their original language. You would need to "forget"
for a moment the word "easy". That is just too easy a definition.

There is some interchangeability between the two words, especially in more
informal speech, but there actually exists a difference in meaning between the
two, making the words uninterchangeable in many situations.

> 「簡単」 has to do with an **_objective_** kind of simplisity and brevity.

Suppose I wrote my answer to this question in just two short sentences. That
would certainly be a 「簡単な[回答]{かいとう}」, but not necessarily a 「易しい回答」. It is
simple and brief, sure, but is it " **user-friendly** "? If you did not feel
my short answer helped you understand the matter much, you would not call my
answer 「易しい」.

People sometimes have to have a 「簡単な」 dinner, write a 「簡単な」 email, do a 「簡単な」
bedmaking or car wash, etc. for a lack of time or other reasons. Point is you
do not call any of these 「易しい」.

Following me so far?

> 「易しい」 is often more of a **_subjective_** opinion.

It is originally the same word as 「[優]{やさ}しい」= "gentle", "friendly", etc.,
which is why I used the term "user-friendly" a while back.

If you find, for instance, this explanation of mine easy to understand so far,
you could call it 「易しい」, but since I have already written more than a few
sentences, you would **_not_** call it 「簡単」. I would feel like I have wasted
my time if anyone called it 「簡単な[説明]{せつめい}」.

So, as I stated in the beginning, in informal real-life settings, native
speakers (myself included) sometimes do use the two words interchangeablly,
but there is a not-so-small difference officially and historically.

