Breakdown of De tweede lettergreep is wat lastig uit te spreken.
zijn
to be
tweede
second (2nd)
te
to (infinitive marker)
lastig
tricky / difficult (troublesome)
wat
something / some (a little)
uitspreken
to pronounce
de lettergreep
the syllable
Questions & Answers about De tweede lettergreep is wat lastig uit te spreken.
Why is te placed between uit and spreken?
Uitspreken (to pronounce) is a separable verb. In constructions that require te before the infinitive, the te is sandwiched between the separable prefix (uit) and the core verb (spreken). For separable verbs, this always forms a single word written together: uit te spreken.
Could I also say 'Het is wat lastig om de tweede lettergreep uit te spreken'?
Yes, absolutely! That is the standard way to phrase it using het as a dummy subject. However, the structure used in this sentence (De tweede lettergreep is lastig uit te spreken) is highly natural in Dutch. It takes the object of the action (de tweede lettergreep) and makes it the subject of the sentence, matching the English 'tough-to-do' structure perfectly.
Why use wat here instead of een beetje?
Wat is frequently used as an adverb meaning 'somewhat' or 'a bit', making it a direct synonym for een beetje in this context. Both are perfectly correct, but using wat sounds concise and is extremely common in spoken Dutch to soften a statement.
Is there a difference between using lastig and moeilijk here?
They are largely interchangeable in this sentence. Moeilijk simply means 'difficult' or 'hard'. Lastig can also mean 'difficult', but it often carries an extra nuance of being 'bothersome', 'tricky', or 'awkward'. Pronouncing a specific, unnatural-feeling syllable is exactly the kind of tricky task where lastig is a great fit.
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