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Hard to find 2012/3/31 18:20
How can I say, "hard to find"? Is it mitsuke nikui? Sagashi nikui?

Sample: Japanese CDs are hard to find in the US. Even amazon.com only has a few.

Thanks.
by Shimada Jiei  

Re: Hard to find 2012/4/1 08:24
Rather than affixing something why not just nominalize it?

日本のCDをU.S.で見つかることは、とても難しいですね。

amazonだって少しある。

I don't have the best Japanese, but I think something like this would be enough.
by Ben (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Hard to find 2012/4/1 11:37
Almost there.
日本のCDをアメリカで見つけることは、とても難しいですね。
アマゾンだって少ししかない。
Or simply,
日本のCDをアメリカで見つけることは、とても ハード(hard) ですね。
amazonだって少ししかない。
If you want other ways,
日本のCDをアメリカで見つけることは、とても困難(kon nan)ですor 厳しい(kibishii)です。
amazonだって少ししかない。
by ay (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Hard to find 2012/4/1 12:41
I think it would be more natural to phrase "not easily found," rather than relying on "hard/difficult to..." (literally).

日本のCDは米国ではなかなか見つかりません。
Nihon no CD wa beikoku dewa nakanaka mitsukarimasen.
(Japanese CDs are not easily found in the US.)

amazon.comでさえ、数は限られています。
amazon.com de sae, kazu wa kagirarete imasu.
(Even at amazon.com, the number is limited.)
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Hard to find 2012/4/1 14:17
Is it mitsuke nikui? Sagashi nikui?

"Mitsuke-nikui" is a correct answer.
"Sagashi-nikui" can mean another.

"Sagasu" means searching for a wanted item, person, solution or so and usually does not imply finding it or its being found.
: "Watashi wa sono CD wo sagashita" does not imply that I found the wanted CD.
: "Kono toshokan dewa hon wo sagashi-nikui" (with the Subject for "sagasu" omitted) can mean that it is not easy to search this library for books. This sentence implies that a problem lies in searching rather than in books. The problem can be that this library does not offer computers for users to make access to online catalogs.

"Mitsukeru" means finding (out) an item, a person, a solution or so, with efforts or eventually. What was found may have been wanted or not.
: "Beikoku dewa nippon no CD wa / wo mitsuke-nikui" [Japanese CDs are hard to find in the US]. ("Beikoku" is a word for the country U.S.A.; "Amerika" often means it but can mean a broader area.)
When the sentence begins with what is/was (to be) found, the particle "wa" is preferred because it works as a topic marker; "wo" can be used grammatically but may make the expression sound awkward.

More formal expressions are "__ wo mitsukeru koto wa muzukashii / konnnanda" [It is difficult to find __]. (The latter is mentioned by ay.)
Some use the adjective "kibishii" here, but it makes the expression sound to me broken and ambiguous, implying that a problem lies either in who searches or in what is to be found. Personally I don't use it here, not at least in the past form "kibishikat-ta."

More casual expressions are "__ wa kantan-ni wa / nakanaka mitsukara-nai" [__ is not easily found]. (The latter is mentioned by AK.)
"Mitsukaru" means being found (out).

Even amazon.com only has a few.

Various translations can exist for this short sentence.
: "amazon.com de sae / de sura, wazuka shika / sukoshi shika atsukat-te-i-nai" [Even amazon.com is handling only a few]. Here the particle "de" does not have a practical meaning but is added idiomatically.
: "amazon.com de sae, sono kazu wa kagirare-te-iru" [Even at amazon.com, the number is limited]. (This one is mentioned by AK.) Here the particle "de" works as a place indicator.

by omotenashi rate this post as useful

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