Breakdown of Det er svært at bære tungt jern.
være
to be
det
it (neuter)
at
to
svær
difficult
tung
heavy
bære
to carry / to wear
jernet
the iron
Questions & Answers about Det er svært at bære tungt jern.
Why is it tungt jern and not just tung jern?
Because jern (iron) is a neuter word (et jern), and here it is used as an uncountable mass noun. When an adjective is placed directly in front of an indefinite neuter noun, even a mass noun, it must add a -t. So tung becomes tungt.
Does svært end in -t for the same reason?
Not exactly. Svært gets a -t because it describes the placeholder pronoun Det (It). In general statements like Det er svært, Det acts as a neuter subject, so the adjective must agree with it by taking the neuter -t ending.
Is jern always an uncountable mass noun?
When talking about the raw material or metal itself, as in this sentence, jern is an uncountable mass noun. However, it can be countable if it refers to a specific tool, like a clothes iron.
Why do we use the infinitive marker at before bære?
The phrase at bære tungt jern (to carry heavy iron) is the logical subject of the sentence. We use at because it introduces the infinitive verb, just like the English word to. The sentence structure is essentially saying that to carry heavy iron is difficult.
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