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Questions & Answers about El examen final es difícil.
Why do we need el before examen? In English we can say “Final exam is difficult” without “the.”
In Spanish, singular countable nouns generally require a definite or indefinite article. El is the masculine singular definite article. Even when speaking in general, you keep the article: El examen es difícil.
How do you know examen is masculine?
Although examen ends in -en, it comes from a Latin noun “examen” and belongs to a class of Spanish nouns ending in -men that are always masculine (like régimen, parámetro). You’ll need to learn and practice noun genders, but here it’s el examen.
Why is final placed after examen instead of before it?
Spanish descriptive adjectives normally follow the noun they modify. So you say examen final (literally “exam final”) rather than final examen. Only a few adjectives (like gran, pequeño for special emphasis) go before.
Does final change with gender and number? For example, with a feminine noun or in the plural?
Final ends in a consonant, so in the singular it’s the same for masculine and feminine: examen final, prueba final. In the plural you add -es: los exámenes finales, las pruebas finales.
Why is there an accent on the “i” in difícil?
Spanish stress rules say that words ending in a consonant other than -n or -s are normally stressed on the last syllable. Difícil is stressed on the penultimate syllable (“FÍ”), so it needs a written accent on í to show the exception.
How do you pronounce difícil?
It has three syllables: di-/fí-cil, with the stress on the second syllable. In Latin American Spanish the “d” is softer than in English, and the “c” before “i” sounds like an “s.” Phonetically: [diˈfisil].
Can you make difícil stronger, like “very difficult”?
Yes. Add an adverb such as muy before difícil: El examen final es muy difícil. That’s the most common way to say “very difficult.”
Could I use another adjective instead of difícil, like duro?
Yes, but the nuance changes. Difícil means “difficult” or “challenging,” while duro means “hard” or “tough” (more about force or endurance). Both are correct: El examen final es duro is idiomatic, but it suggests toughness rather than complexity.