Eine Entscheidung ist oft schwierig.

A decision is often difficult.

Breakdown of Eine Entscheidung ist oft schwierig.

• sein: to be
• oft: often
• schwierig: difficult
• die Entscheidung: the decision

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.

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.