容易

Chinese

		to hold; to contain; to allow to hold; to contain; to allow; appearance; look; countenance	change; easy; simple
simp. and trad. (容易)		容	易
anagram		易容

Etymology

Rebracketing of 何容易 (OC *ɡaːl loŋ leɡ, “how can one + change”) with influence from 易 (OC *leːɡs, “easy”).

漢人以何容二字引易字，容易非連綴文，自杜詩與奮偶，又楊倞注荀子云，忽然、言容易也，後人遂轉相傳飛，言易者、矢口必兼言容。 [MSC, trad.]

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汉人以何容二字引易字，容易非连缀文，自杜诗与奋偶，又杨倞注荀子云，忽然、言容易也，后人遂转相传飞，言易者、矢口必兼言容。 [MSC, simp.]

From: s:zh:通俗編/12

Hàn rén yǐ héróng èr zì yǐn yì zì, róngyì fēi liánzhuì wén, zì Dù shī yǔ fèn ǒu, yòu Yáng Jìng zhù Xúnzǐ yún, hūrán, yán róngyì yě, hòurén suì zhuǎnxiàng chuánfēi, yán yì zhě, shǐkǒu bì jiān yán róng. [Pinyin]

The Han people used the characters '容' and '易' to refer to the character '易'. '容易' is not a compound word. Since Du Fu's poetry and the casual mention by Yang Jing in his commentary on Xunzi, stating 'suddenly' or 'speaking of ease', later generations have continuously passed this down. Those who speak of '易' invariably also mention '容'.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): róngyì, yóngyi

  (Zhuyin): ㄖㄨㄥˊ ㄧˋ, ㄩㄥˊ ˙ㄧ

  (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): yóngyi

  (Nanjing, Nanjing Pinyin): yónyī

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): йүнйи (yünyi, I-III)

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jung⁴ ji⁶

• Gan (Wiktionary): iung⁴ i
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): yùng-yi

  (Hailu, HRS): rhung rhi^ˇ

  (Changting, Changting Pinyin): yong² yi⁴

• Jin (Wiktionary): yng¹ i³
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): oeng² i⁵ / yoeng² i⁵
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): iông-ī

  (Teochew, Peng'im): iong⁵ i⁶ / iong⁵ goi⁷

• Southern Pinghua (Nanning, Jyutping++): joeng⁴ ji⁶
• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶yon-yiq

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)
    • Hanyu Pinyin: róngyì → róngyi (toneless final syllable variant)
    • Zhuyin: ㄖㄨㄥˊ ㄧˋ → ㄖㄨㄥˊ ˙ㄧ (toneless final syllable variant)
    • Tongyong Pinyin: róngyi̊
    • Wade–Giles: jung²-i⁵
    • Yale: rúng-yi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: rong.yih
    • Palladius: жунъи (žunʺi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʐʊŋ³⁵ i⁵¹/ → /ʐʊŋ³⁵ i³/
    • Homophones:

      edit edit 容易 溶液

      
      
  • (Beijing dialect)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yóngyi
    • Zhuyin: ㄩㄥˊ ˙ㄧ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yóngyi̊
    • Wade–Giles: yung²-i⁵
    • Yale: yúng-yi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yong.i
    • Palladius: юнъи (junʺi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jʊŋ³⁵ i³/
  • (Xi'an)
    • Guanzhong Pinyin: yóngyi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /yoŋ²⁴ i/
  • (Nanjing)
    • Nanjing Pinyin: yónyī
    • Nanjing Pinyin (numbered): yon² yi⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ioŋ²⁴ i⁴⁴/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: йүнйи (yünyi, I-III)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /yŋ²⁴ i⁴⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jung⁴ ji⁶
    • Yale: yùhng yih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jung⁴ ji⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: yung⁴ yi⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jʊŋ²¹ jiː²²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: iung⁴ i
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /iuŋ³⁵ i²/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yùng-yi
    • Hakka Romanization System: iung^ˇ i
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yung² yi⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /i̯uŋ¹¹ i⁵⁵/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yùng-yi
    • Hakka Romanization System: (r)iung^ˇ (r)i
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yung² yi⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /(j)i̯uŋ¹¹ (j)i⁵⁵/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: rhung rhi^ˇ
    • Sinological IPA: /ʒuŋ⁵⁵ ʒi¹¹/
  • (Changting)
    • Changting Pinyin: yong² yi⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ioŋ²⁴ i⁵⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: yng¹ i³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /yŋ¹¹ i⁴⁵/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: oeng² i⁵ [Phonetic: oeng⁴ ngi⁵]
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: é̤ng-ī
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /œŋ¹³⁻⁴² ^(Ø-)ŋi¹¹/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: yoeng² i⁵ [Phonetic: yoeng⁴ ngi⁵]
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /yøŋ²⁴⁻⁴² ^(Ø-)ŋi²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iông-ī
    • Tâi-lô: iông-ī
    • Phofsit Daibuun: iong'i
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /iɔŋ²⁴⁻²² i²²/
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /iɔŋ²⁴⁻²² i⁴¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /iɔŋ¹³⁻²² i²²/
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei): /iɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ i³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /iɔŋ²³⁻³³ i³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: iong⁵ i⁶ / iong⁵ goi⁷
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: iông ĭ / iông kōi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ioŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ i³⁵/, /ioŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ koi¹¹/
• Southern Pinghua
  • (Nanning Pinghua, Tingzi)
    • Jyutping++: joeng⁴ ji⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jøŋ²¹ ji²²/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶yon-yiq
    • MiniDict: yon^去 yih
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³hhion-hhiq
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɦioŋ²² ɦiɪʔ⁴⁴/

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• Middle Chinese: yowng yeH

Rime
Character	容	易
Reading #	1/1	1/2
Initial (聲)	以 (36)	以 (36)
Final (韻)	鍾 (7)	支 (11)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	餘封切	以豉切
Baxter	yowng	yeH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/jɨoŋ/	/jiᴇH/
Pan Wuyun	/jioŋ/	/jiɛH/
Shao Rongfen	/ioŋ/	/jɛH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/juawŋ/	/jiə̆H/
Li Rong	/ioŋ/	/ieH/
Wang Li	/jĭwoŋ/	/jǐeH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/i̯woŋ/	/ie̯H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yóng	yì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jung4	ji6

Adjective

容易

1. easy; simple

   容易使用  ―  róngyì shǐyòng  ―  to be easy to use

   戒煙比我想象中容易多了。 [MSC, trad.]
   戒烟比我想象中容易多了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Jièyān bǐ wǒ xiǎngxiàng zhōng róngyì duō le. [Pinyin]

   Quitting smoking was easier than I imagined.

2. likely; liable; prone

   容易發生／容易发生  ―  róngyì fāshēng  ―  to be likely to occur

   容易鬧洪水／容易闹洪水  ―  róngyì nào hóngshuǐ  ―  to be prone to flooding

   傷口容易感染。／伤口容易感染。  ―  Shāngkǒu róngyì gǎnrǎn.  ―  The wound can easily become infected.

3. (colloquial, in rhetorical questions and negative sentences) having an easy life

   我容易嗎我？／我容易吗我？  ―  Wǒ róngyì ma wǒ?  ―  How on earth do you think my life is easy?

4. (literary) rash; hasty; careless; flippant
5. (literary) impudent; wanton; unbridled
6. (literary) negligent; careless

Synonyms

• (easy):

Dialectal synonyms of 容易 (“easy”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		易2
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		容易
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	容易
	Taiwan	容易
	Singapore	容易
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	容易
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	容易
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	容易, 撇脫
	Wuhan	容易, 撇脫, 撩撇
	Guilin	容易
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	容易, 便當
	Hefei	容易
Cantonese	Guangzhou	容易, 易2
	Hong Kong	容易, 易2
	Yangjiang	易容
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	線能
	Singapore (Guangfu)	易2
Gan	Nanchang	容易
Hakka	Meixian	容易
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	容易, 該
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	容易
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	容易, 該
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	容易, 該
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	容易, 該
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	快
Jin	Taiyuan	容易
Northern Min	Jian'ou	容易
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	容易, 易3
Southern Min	Xiamen	易3, 快便
	Quanzhou	易3
	Singapore (Hokkien)	易3
	Manila (Hokkien)	易3
	Chaozhou	易3
	Singapore (Teochew)	易3
Wu	Suzhou	便當
	Wenzhou	便當, 便, 容易
Xiang	Changsha	易得
	Shuangfeng	易得, 容易

• (likely): 可能 (kěnéng)
• (rash):

edit

• 急躁 (jízào)
• 操切 (cāoqiè) (formal)
• 苟且 (gǒuqiě)
• 草率 (cǎoshuài)
• 衝動 / 冲动 (chōngdòng)
• 輕易 / 轻易 (qīngyì) (literary)
• 輕率 / 轻率 (qīngshuài)

• (impudent): 放肆 (fàngsì)
• (negligent):

edit

• 含糊 (hánhu)
• 大意 (dàyì)
• 投五投六 (⁶deu-ng-deu-loq) (Shanghainese)
• 揦西 (laa² sai¹) (Cantonese)
• 毛糙 (máocāo)
• 泡毛 (pao⁴ mao²) (Sichuanese)
• 潦草 (liáocǎo)
• 疏忽 (shūhu)
• 簡單 / 简单 (jiǎndān)
• 粗心 (cūxīn)
• 邋糊 (la³ fu²) (Xiang)
• 馬虎 / 马虎 (mǎhu)

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “easy”): 困難／困难 (kùnnan), 難／难 (nán)

Derived terms

• 不容易 (bùróngyì)
• 不輕容易 / 不轻容易
• 呼蛇容易遣蛇難 / 呼蛇容易遣蛇难
• 好不容易 (hǎobùróngyì)
• 好容易 (hǎoróngyì)
• 捉虎容易放虎難 / 捉虎容易放虎难
• 放虎容易擒虎難 / 放虎容易擒虎难
• 明鎗容易躲，暗劍最難防 / 明枪容易躲，暗剑最难防
• 明鎗容易躲，暗箭最難防 / 明枪容易躲，暗箭最难防
• 談何容易 / 谈何容易 (tánhéróngyì)
• 請神容易送神難 / 请神容易送神难 (qǐng shén róngyì sòng shén nán)
• 起頭容易結梢難 / 起头容易结梢难
• 非同容易

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (容易):

• → Japanese: 容(よう)易(い) (yōi)
• → Korean: 용이(容易) (yong'i)
• → Vietnamese: dung dị (容易)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
容	易
よう Grade: 5	い Grade: 5
on'yomi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [jo̞ːi]
• (Tokyo) よーい [yòóí] (Heiban – [0])

Adjective

容(よう)易(い) • (yōi) -na (adnominal 容(よう)易(い)な (yōi na), adverbial 容(よう)易(い)に (yōi ni))

1. easy, simple

Inflection

Inflection of 容易

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	容易だろ	よういだろ	yōi daro
Continuative (連用形)	容易で	よういで	yōi de
Terminal (終止形)	容易だ	よういだ	yōi da
Attributive (連体形)	容易な	よういな	yōi na
Hypothetical (仮定形)	容易なら	よういなら	yōi nara
Imperative (命令形)	容易であれ	よういであれ	yōi de are
Key constructions
Informal negative	容易ではない 容易じゃない	よういではない よういじゃない	yōi de wa nai yōi ja nai
Informal past	容易だった	よういだった	yōi datta
Informal negative past	容易ではなかった 容易じゃなかった	よういではなかった よういじゃなかった	yōi de wa nakatta yōi ja nakatta
Formal	容易です	よういです	yōi desu
Formal negative	容易ではありません 容易じゃありません	よういではありません よういじゃありません	yōi de wa arimasen yōi ja arimasen
Formal past	容易でした	よういでした	yōi deshita
Formal negative past	容易ではありませんでした 容易じゃありませんでした	よういではありませんでした よういじゃありませんでした	yōi de wa arimasen deshita yōi ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive	容易で	よういで	yōi de
Conditional	容易なら（ば）	よういなら（ば）	yōi nara (ba)
Provisional	容易だったら	よういだったら	yōi dattara
Volitional	容易だろう	よういだろう	yōi darō
Adverbial	容易に	よういに	yōi ni
Degree	容易さ	よういさ	yōisa

Noun

容(よう)易(い) • (yōi) 

1. ease, simplicity

References

• “容易”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Korean

Hanja in this term
容	易

Noun

容易 • (yong'i) (hangeul 용이)

1. hanja form^? of 용이 (“easiness; simplicity”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
容	易

Adjective

容易

1. chữ Hán form of dung dị (“relaxing; easy-going”)