Breakdown of Ta bariera jest okropna, trudno mi rozmawiać.
być
to be
ten
this (m)
rozmawiać
to talk
mi
to me
okropny
terrible
trudno
hard (difficult)
bariera
barrier (general, obstacle)
Questions & Answers about Ta bariera jest okropna, trudno mi rozmawiać.
Why do we use mi here instead of dla mnie (for me)?
With impersonal words like trudno (it is hard), warto (it is worth it), or szkoda (it is a pity), Polish uses the dative case to show who is experiencing the feeling. Mi is the short dative form of ja (I). While translating literally to 'dla mnie' makes sense in English, Polish strongly prefers this dative experiencer format: trudno mi (literally: it is hard to me).
Why is the word trudno used instead of an adjective like trudna to match bariera?
The second half of the sentence is a separate clause. It isn't describing the feminine noun bariera directly anymore; it is making a general statement about the action of talking. Impersonal expressions about actions always use this adverb-like form (trudno) paired with an infinitive verb (rozmawiać).
Could I change the word order to mi trudno rozmawiać?
It is much better not to. Mi is a short, unstressed pronoun, and Polish has a strong rule that these short pronouns should not be the very first word in a sentence or clause. Placing it right after the predicate (trudno) is the most natural and correct word order.
Is bariera a physical barrier in this sentence?
Based on the context, no. Because it makes it hard to converse (rozmawiać), this almost certainly refers to a language barrier (bariera językowa) or a psychological block, rather than a physical fence or wall.
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