Είναι δύσκολο, βέβαια, αλλά όχι αδύνατο.

Είναι means is or it is.

In this sentence, Greek uses είναι impersonally, just like English it is in It is difficult. Greek often leaves out the subject when it is obvious or generic, so there is no separate word for it here.

So:

• Είναι δύσκολο = It is difficult
• Είναι αδύνατο = It is impossible

Greek often does not need an explicit subject pronoun.

In English, you must say It is difficult. In Greek, Είναι δύσκολο is enough. The idea of it is understood from the structure.

This is very common in Greek, especially with expressions like:

• Είναι εύκολο = It is easy
• Είναι σημαντικό = It is important
• Είναι αλήθεια = It is true

They are in the neuter singular form.

That happens because the sentence is using an impersonal idea: it is difficult / it is not impossible. In Greek, this kind of general it often takes the neuter singular adjective form.

So the basic adjective forms are:

• δύσκολος (masculine)
• δύσκολη (feminine)
• δύσκολο (neuter)

and

• αδύνατος (masculine)
• αδύνατη (feminine)
• αδύνατο (neuter)

Here, the neuter form is the natural one.

Yes. If the adjective described a specific noun, it would have to agree with that noun in gender, number, and case.

For example:

• Η άσκηση είναι δύσκολη. = The exercise is difficult.
• Ο στόχος είναι δύσκολος. = The goal is difficult.
• Το σχέδιο είναι δύσκολο. = The plan is difficult.

But in your sentence, there is no specific noun stated, so the neutral impersonal form δύσκολο / αδύνατο is used.

Here βέβαια means something like:

• of course
• certainly
• admittedly

In this sentence, it adds a concessive tone, like English:

• It is difficult, of course, but not impossible.
• It is difficult, certainly, but not impossible.
• It is difficult, admittedly, but not impossible.

So βέβαια softens the statement a little and acknowledges the obvious difficulty before giving the more hopeful second part.

Because it is being used as a parenthetical comment—an inserted remark by the speaker.

So the structure is basically:

• Είναι δύσκολο = It is difficult
• βέβαια = of course / certainly
• αλλά όχι αδύνατο = but not impossible

The commas show that βέβαια is not the main core of the sentence, but an added comment.

This is similar to English:

• It is difficult, of course, but not impossible.

Because όχι is negating the adjective phrase αδύνατο, not a verb.

Greek usually uses:

• δεν to negate verbs
• όχι to negate a word or phrase, or for emphasis

Here the verb είναι is not being negated. The sentence does not mean it is not difficult. Instead, it means:

• it is difficult
• but not impossible

So Greek says:

• αλλά όχι αδύνατο

not:

• αλλά δεν αδύνατο ❌

A helpful comparison:

• Δεν είναι εύκολο. = It is not easy.
  (negating the whole verb phrase)
• Είναι δύσκολο, αλλά όχι αδύνατο. = It is difficult, but not impossible.
  (negating only impossible)

Αλλά means but.

It connects two contrasting ideas:

• Είναι δύσκολο = It is difficult
• όχι αδύνατο = not impossible

So αλλά marks the contrast between hard and not impossible.

It is the standard everyday word for but in Greek.

Yes.

• δυνατό = possible, strong, or powerful depending on context
• αδύνατο = impossible or sometimes weak depending on context

The prefix α- here is a negative prefix, similar to un- or in- in English.

So in this sentence:

• όχι αδύνατο = not impossible

That is why the phrase sounds quite elegant and natural: it contrasts difficult with impossible.

Because δύσκολο is an adjective, while δύσκολα is usually an adverb.

Here we need an adjective because it is describing the implied it:

• Είναι δύσκολο. = It is difficult.

If you used δύσκολα, the meaning would shift toward with difficulty or hardly, depending on context.

Compare:

• Είναι δύσκολο. = It is difficult.
• Μιλάει δύσκολα. = He/She speaks with difficulty.
  or in some contexts awkwardly / not easily

So δύσκολο is the correct form here.

Yes, Greek word order is fairly flexible.

The given sentence is very natural:

• Είναι δύσκολο, βέβαια, αλλά όχι αδύνατο.

But you could also hear:

• Βέβαια, είναι δύσκολο, αλλά όχι αδύνατο.
• Είναι βέβαια δύσκολο, αλλά όχι αδύνατο.

These versions are all understandable, but the original one sounds very balanced and natural.

The exact position of βέβαια can slightly change the emphasis, but not the basic meaning.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

EEN-eh THEES-ko-lo, VEH-ve-a, al-LA o-HEE a-THY-na-to

A few helpful notes:

• εί in Είναι sounds like ee
• δ in Modern Greek sounds like the th in this
• θ in αδύνατο sounds like the th in think
• χ in όχι is a throaty sound, not like English h
• The stressed syllables are:
  • Είναι
  • δύσκολο
  • βέβαια
  • αλλά
  • αδύνατο

It sounds completely natural in Greek.

Είναι δύσκολο, βέβαια, αλλά όχι αδύνατο. is a very idiomatic and elegant way to express this idea. It is exactly the kind of sentence a native speaker might say when acknowledging a challenge but encouraging someone at the same time.

It has a calm, realistic tone:

• yes, it is hard
• but no, it is not beyond possibility

So this is a very useful sentence pattern to remember.