Breakdown of Diese Entscheidung ist nicht einfach.
sein
to be
nicht
not
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
die Entscheidung
the decision
einfach
easy / simple / simply, just
Questions & Answers about Diese Entscheidung ist nicht einfach.
Why do we use diese instead of dieser or dieses?
We use diese because it is the feminine form of the demonstrative pronoun dies- (this), matching the feminine noun Entscheidung. A great rule of thumb to remember is that almost all German nouns ending in -ung are feminine!
Is the noun Entscheidung related to a verb?
Yes, it is built from the verb entscheiden (to decide). Adding the suffix -ung is a very common way to turn a verb into a noun in German. You might also recognize it from the reflexive verb sich entscheiden (to make up one's mind), which you have likely seen in earlier lessons on reflexive verbs.
Could I use the word leicht instead of einfach here?
Absolutely. While einfach literally translates to simple and leicht translates to light (in weight), both are commonly used to mean easy when talking about a task or a choice. In this sentence, they mean the exact same thing.
Why does nicht go right before einfach here?
In German, when you want to negate a specific adjective with nicht (not), you place it directly in front of that adjective. Here, it is specifically negating einfach to mean not easy.
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