Spanish · Emotions & Descriptions
"Difficult" in Spanish: difícil
difícil
Difficult in Spanish is difícil. Difícil stays the same for masculine and feminine. The plural is difíciles. Es difícil means it is difficult.
Exam talk
El examen fue difícil.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce difícil
Say it
dee-FEE-seel
/di.ˈfi.sil/
dee-FEE-seel. Stress FEE. Soft c like s in Latin America; accent on í.
"Difficult" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| difícil | difficult Same for masculine and feminine singular. | Same for masculine and feminine singular. |
| difíciles | difficult (plural) For more than one. | For more than one. |
| es difícil | it is difficult Common short line. | Common short line. |
| más difícil | more difficult Comparison. | Comparison. |
How to use difícil in real life
- 1Exam talk
El examen fue difícil.
The exam was difficult.
Difícil after ser/fue.
- 2Language study
La pronunciación es difícil para mí.
Pronunciation is difficult for me.
Difícil same for la pronunciación.
- 3Two tasks
Estas preguntas son difíciles.
These questions are difficult.
Difíciles plural.
Mistakes English speakers make with difícil
Incorrect: La clase es difícila.
Correct: La clase es difícil.
Difícil has no -a form. Say la clase es difícil.
Incorrect: Los temas son difícil.
Correct: Los temas son difíciles.
Use plural difíciles for more than one.
Good to know
Difícil is the default word for hard tasks in Latin American Spanish. Soften with un poco difícil. Write the accent: difícil, not dificil.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
After a tough Spanish quiz
ChatPal
¿Te pareció difícil el quiz?
Did the quiz seem difficult to you?
You
Sí, muy difícil. Especialmente los verbos.
Yes, very difficult. Especially the verbs.
ChatPal
Lo difícil se practica. Repasamos mañana.
The difficult part gets practice. We'll review tomorrow.
You
Perfecto. Traigo mis apuntes.
Perfect. I'll bring my notes.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Difficult" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Difficult" in Spanish
Does difícil change for gender?
No. El examen es difícil and la prueba es difícil. Plural: difíciles.
How do you pronounce difícil?
dee-FEE-seel. Stress FEE.
How do I say more difficult?
Más difícil.
Difícil vs duro?
Difícil is the clear beginner word for difficult. Duro can mean hard/tough too.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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