Breakdown of Das Formular ist schnell auszufüllen, aber die Bescheinigung ist schwer zu bekommen.
Questions & Answers about Das Formular ist schnell auszufüllen, aber die Bescheinigung ist schwer zu bekommen.
It is a very common German pattern. In sentences like this, sein + zu + infinitive often has a passive-like meaning.
- Das Formular ist schnell auszufüllen = The form can be filled out quickly / The form is quick to fill out
- Die Bescheinigung ist schwer zu bekommen = The certificate is hard to get / The certificate is difficult to obtain
So the pattern often means something like:
- can be ...
- is ... to ...
- is easy/hard/possible/impossible to ...
The exact English translation depends on context.
Because ausfüllen is a separable verb:
- basic verb: füllen
- separable prefix: aus-
- full infinitive: ausfüllen
When a separable verb is used with zu, the zu goes between the prefix and the verb stem:
- ausfüllen → auszufüllen
- anziehen → anzuziehen
- aufmachen → aufzumachen
So auszufüllen is the correct form.
Because bekommen is not a separable verb.
With normal, non-separable verbs, zu simply goes in front of the infinitive:
- bekommen → zu bekommen
- machen → zu machen
- lesen → zu lesen
Only separable verbs split around zu.
Because they are the grammatical subjects of their clauses:
- Das Formular ist ...
- die Bescheinigung ist ...
Even though, in meaning, the form is the thing being filled out and the certificate is the thing being obtained, German still makes them the subject of the sentence in this structure.
That is why this construction feels a bit like a passive:
- Das Formular kann schnell ausgefüllt werden
- Die Bescheinigung kann schwer zu bekommen sein / more naturally ist schwer zu bekommen
It is similar, but not always exactly the same.
Compare:
- Das Formular ist schnell auszufüllen.
- Das Formular kann schnell ausgefüllt werden.
These are close in meaning. Both suggest that filling out the form is quick/easy.
But sein + zu + infinitive can sometimes carry extra shades of meaning, depending on context:
- possibility: can be done
- necessity: is to be done / must be done
- general character: is easy/hard to do
In your sentence, it mainly expresses how easy or difficult something is.
Because the sentence focuses on the thing, not on the person doing the action.
German often does this when talking about general usability or difficulty:
- Das Formular ist schnell auszufüllen.
- Die Tür ist leicht zu öffnen.
- Das Problem ist schwer zu lösen.
The idea is not who fills it out or gets it, but simply that the action is easy or difficult in general.
If you wanted to mention a person, you would usually use a different structure, for example:
- Man kann das Formular schnell ausfüllen.
- Man kann die Bescheinigung nur schwer bekommen.
They describe different things:
- schnell = quickly
- schwer = hard/difficult
So:
- schnell auszufüllen focuses on speed
- schwer zu bekommen focuses on difficulty
A useful thing to know is that German uses the same basic form for adjectives and adverbs in many cases:
- ein schnelles Auto = adjective
- Das Auto fährt schnell = adverb-like use
So schnell does not need a special -ly ending like in English.
Yes. That would mean The form is easy to fill out.
There is a slight difference in emphasis:
- schnell auszufüllen = quick to fill out
- leicht auszufüllen = easy to fill out
Something can be quick without being especially easy, and easy without being especially quick. In many real situations, though, the ideas overlap.
Ausfüllen usually means to fill out or to complete a form, document, questionnaire, etc.
So:
- ein Formular ausfüllen = to fill out a form
- einen Antrag ausfüllen = to fill out an application
It is more specific than plain füllen, which usually means to fill in a physical sense, like filling a glass or a bag.
Because aber is a coordinating conjunction. It links two main clauses, and the second clause keeps normal main-clause word order.
So we get:
- Das Formular ist schnell auszufüllen, aber die Bescheinigung ist schwer zu bekommen.
The finite verb still stays in second position in the second clause:
- subject: die Bescheinigung
- verb: ist
This is different from subordinating conjunctions such as weil or dass, which send the verb to the end.
Yes, very naturally:
- Man kann das Formular schnell ausfüllen, aber die Bescheinigung ist schwer zu bekommen.
- or Man kann das Formular schnell ausfüllen, aber man kann die Bescheinigung nur schwer bekommen.
That version is a bit more direct and conversational.
The original version with ist ... zu ... sounds slightly more formal or written, especially in instructions, official language, or general descriptions.
Usually, yes. Schwer zu bekommen is very idiomatic and common.
Both are possible:
- schwer zu bekommen
- schwierig zu bekommen
But schwer often sounds more natural in everyday German for this kind of sentence.
You will hear similar combinations a lot:
- schwer zu verstehen
- schwer zu finden
- schwer zu lösen
Yes. That is an important point.
Depending on context, sein + zu + infinitive can express:
- possibility: can be done
- necessity/obligation: must be done / is to be done
For example:
- Der Antrag ist bis Freitag einzureichen.
= The application must be submitted by Friday.
But in your sentence, the words schnell and schwer show that the sentence is describing ease and difficulty, not obligation. So here it is understood as can be / is easy or hard to.
Yes, it is natural and correct.
It sounds slightly more formal than very casual spoken German, but it is completely normal. You could easily see or hear this kind of wording in:
- official contexts
- written descriptions
- instructions
- general comments about processes
A more conversational version might be:
- Das Formular kann man schnell ausfüllen, aber die Bescheinigung ist schwer zu bekommen.
Both are good; they just differ a little in style.