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Learn Hardcore German: Eine Entscheidung ist oft schwierig. - A decision is often difficult.

Hardcore German
/Lesson 15
/Eine Entscheidung ist oft schwierig.

Eine Entscheidung ist oft schwierig.

Word

Eine Entscheidung ist oft schwierig.

Meaning

A decision is often difficult.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore German

Lesson

Breakdown of Eine Entscheidung ist oft schwierig.

die Entscheidung

Questions & Answers about Eine Entscheidung ist oft schwierig.

Why is Entscheidung preceded by eine instead of die or omitted?

Entscheidung is a feminine noun in the singular, and when you make a general statement about “one decision,” German uses the indefinite article eine (nominative feminine).
If you wanted to speak about decisions in general (plural), you would drop the article: Entscheidungen sind oft schwierig.

Why doesn’t schwierig have an ending like in eine schwierige Entscheidung?

Here schwierig is used predicatively (after the verb ist), and predicative adjectives in German are not inflected.
In contrast, attributive adjectives (those placed directly before a noun) do take endings: e.g. eine schwierige Entscheidung.

Why is oft placed between ist and schwierig rather than at the beginning?

German main clauses follow the “verb-second” (V2) rule: the finite verb (ist) must occupy the second position.
The subject (Eine Entscheidung) is first, the verb is second, and adverbs like oft fill the “middle field” before other sentence elements.
You can also front oft for emphasis: Oft ist eine Entscheidung schwierig.

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How can I tell that Entscheidung is feminine?

In German, virtually all nouns ending in -ung are feminine. Whenever you see a noun like die Entscheidung, die Änderung, or die Meinung, you can be sure it’s feminine and takes die (definite) or eine (indefinite) in the singular.

Could I use schwer instead of schwierig? Do they mean the same?

Both translate as “difficult,” but there’s a subtle nuance:
- schwierig often highlights complexity or tricky aspects (“a complicated matter”).
- schwer can also mean “heavy,” so it’s broader (“hard,” “heavy”).
In everyday speech, you can usually say Eine Entscheidung ist oft schwer. without misunderstanding.

Are there alternative ways to express “It’s often difficult to make a decision” in German?

Yes. Some common variants:

Es ist oft schwierig, eine Entscheidung zu treffen.
Sich zu entscheiden ist oft schwierig.
Plural version: Entscheidungen sind oft schwierig.
Word‑order variant: Oft ist eine Entscheidung schwierig.

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