易 - It's as EASY as Casting Shadows Is for the Sun

Readings & Meanings:

イ

エキ

やさ（−しい）

やす（−い）

easy

Common Usage:

安易

易しい

簡易トイレ

Examples:

安易な気持ちで商売を始める。

この問題は比較的、易しい。

そのイベントに備えて、公園に簡易トイレを設置する。

Translations:

We will begin our transactions with an easygoing air.

Relatively speaking, this problem is easy.

To prepare for the event, portable toilets will be established in the park.

Bonus:

In two of the above examples, we have a pronunciation that many foreigners stumble on. 安易（あんい）and 簡易（かんい）both have the ん+い pronunciation that many learners pronounce as に. 違う.

ん is nasal. It's like a French N, the sound goes up into your nostrils to vibrate there, and does not come out of your mouth. When you pronounce あん, close off the passage of air from your throat with your tongue by pressing part of it to the top of your mouth. This way, the vibrating air passes through your nose and you get a nasally sound.

To pronounce あんい, you almost have to pronounce the い in your nose, too. Just release your tongue down just as you say the "い".

Sounds tricky? It is. Just remember, 兄 and 安易 (and カニ and 簡易) have completely different pronunciations, to the Japanese ear. Try to practice this with a Japanese person, and you'll get the hang of it.

Important:

易い and 易しい both are homonyms of other words.

安い means cheap
易い means easy

優しい means friendly, easygoing
易しい means simple

References:

http://www.thejapanesepage.com/kanji/kanji/i.htm