Breakdown of Passejar la mascota és difícil.
ser
to be
la mascota
the pet
passejar
to walk a pet
difícil
difficult
Questions & Answers about Passejar la mascota és difícil.
Why is passejar in the infinitive? In English we often use walking instead.
In Catalan, the infinitive can act like a noun phrase and be the subject of a sentence.
So:
- Passejar la mascota = walking the pet / to walk the pet
- és difícil = is difficult
This is very normal in Catalan. English often prefers the -ing form, but Catalan usually uses the infinitive in this kind of sentence.
Compare:
- Fumar és dolent. = Smoking is bad.
- Llegir és important. = Reading is important.
So passejar here is not strange at all: it is the standard way to say that the action itself is difficult.
Does passejar really mean to walk?
It can, but more specifically it often means to take for a walk or to stroll.
That is why it works well with la mascota.
Useful contrast:
- caminar = to walk, to move on foot yourself
- passejar = to stroll, to go for a walk, or to take someone/something for a walk
So:
- Camino cada matí. = I walk every morning.
- Passejo el gos cada matí. = I walk the dog every morning.
In this sentence, passejar la mascota means taking the pet for a walk.
Why is there la before mascota?