言いがたい

いいがたい
Alternative readings: いいにくい
Alternative writings: 言い難い, 言いにくい, 言難い
Frequency:
1

Difficult to express in words; hard to say — used when something is hard to state or describe.

I-Adjective

Examples

彼の言葉は本当かどうか、言いがたいところがある。

It's hard to say whether his words are true.

その光景は言いがたい美しさがあった。

That scene had an indescribable beauty.

事情が複雑で、今は本当のことを言いがたい。

The situation is complicated, so I can't really say the truth right now.

2

Embarrassing or delicate to say; something you feel hesitant to tell someone because it's awkward or sensitive.

I-Adjective

Examples

正直に言うと、彼に言いがたいことがある。

To be honest, there's something I find hard to tell him.

それを直接言うのは言いにくいが、改善が必要だ。

It's awkward to say that directly, but improvement is needed.

Word Relationships