schwierig

/ˈʃviːʁɪç/

adjective A2

der (masc.) die (fem.) das (neut.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

Meaning

difficult, hard
- Die Prüfung war sehr schwierig.
  
  The exam was very difficult.

Near-total overlap for "difficult." schwer also covers physical weight, which schwierig never does — a suitcase is schwer, never schwierig.

Similar in other languages

English

hard is the English word for the same thing — both mean "difficult, hard."

Spanish

Close — difficult, hard relates to challenging (desafiante).

Spanish

Close, figuratively — difficult, hard relates to Herculean (hercúleo).

1 What does schwierig mean?

2 Fill the gap: Die Prüfung war sehr ___.

3 Which fingerprint chart matches schwierig?

adjectivecore-vocabulary

Last updated 2026-09-16