GRAMMAR
〜がたい
hard to
difficult to
Explanation
NOTE
〜がたい means hard to V or difficult to V — used when an action is psychologically or emotionally difficult, not physically impossible.
彼の話は信じがたい。
His story is hard to believe.
Often pairs with abstract or emotional verbs like 信じる, 理解する, 想像する, 忘れる.
NOTE
〜がたい is formal and literary — common in writing, news, and speeches, but rare in casual speech.
NOTE
Attach がたい to the verb masu-stem by dropping ます (信じます → 信じがたい).
STRUCTURE
Vます
がたいあの体験は忘れがたいものだった。
Ano taiken wa wasuregatai mono datta.
That experience was something hard to forget.
彼女の決断は理解しがたい。
Kanojo no ketsudan wa rikai shigatai.
Her decision is hard to understand.
彼の言葉は信じがたい。
Kare no kotoba wa shinjigatai.
His words are hard to believe.
その事件は理解しがたい。
Sono jiken wa rikai shigatai.
That incident is hard to understand.
あの悲しい出来事は忘れがたい思い出だ。
Ano kanashii dekigoto wa wasuregatai omoide da.
That sad event is a memory that's hard to forget.
彼の態度は許しがたい。
Kare no taido wa yurushigatai.
His attitude is hard to forgive.
Practice exercises
1
この景色は忘れがたいほど美しい。
This scenery is so beautiful it is hard to forget.
Answer
忘れがたい
2
彼女の突然の決断は納得しがたいものがある。
There is something hard to accept about her sudden decision.
Answer
納得しがたい
3
その話は信じがたい。
That story is hard to believe.
Answer
信じがたい
4
その事故の原因は理解しがたい。
The cause of that accident is hard to understand.
Answer
理解しがたい
5
あのとき彼がしたことは許しがたい。
What he did back then is hard to forgive.
Answer
許しがたい