The "Tough" Construction
In English, we often say things like "The book is easy to read." Danish uses the exact same structure: the subject is followed by er (is), an adjective, the word at, and finally an active infinitive verb.
Even though the verb is active, it carries a passive meaning—the subject is the thing being read, deciphered, or operated.
| The letter is hard to decipher. | Brevet er svært at tyde. |
| The machine is dangerous to operate. | Maskinen er farlig at betjene. |
Adding "For Someone"
If you want to specify exactly who the action is easy or difficult for, place for and a pronoun immediately after the adjective.
| The manual is easy for her to read. | Manualen er nem for hende at læse. |
| The rule is hard for him to explain. | Reglen er svær for ham at forklare. |
Evaluating Software and Instructions
This grammatical structure is incredibly common when evaluating how user-friendly tasks, tools, and manuals are. Adjectives like kompliceret (complicated) or overskuelig (straightforward/clear) pair perfectly with this pattern.
| The software is complicated to install. | Softwaren er kompliceret at installere. |
| The manual is straightforward to read. | Manualen er overskuelig at læse. |
Figuring Out Problems
When dealing with abstract issues or tricky error messages, verbs like gennemskue (to figure out) and håndtere (to handle) are very useful at the end of these sentences.
| The problem is hard to figure out. | Problemet er svært at gennemskue. |
| The situation is difficult to handle. | Situationen er svær at håndtere. |