Inklingo

difíciles

dee-FEE-see-less/diˈfiθiles/

difíciles means difficult in Spanish (Describing plural things or situations).

difficult, hard

Also: challenging, tricky
Three brightly colored, complexly shaped puzzle pieces scattered on a flat surface. They clearly do not fit together, symbolizing multiple difficult tasks or problems.

📝 In Action

Los exámenes de historia siempre son muy difíciles.

A1

History exams are always very difficult.

Estas decisiones son difíciles de tomar, pero necesarias.

A2

These decisions are hard to make, but necessary.

Hemos superado momentos difíciles en el pasado.

B1

We have overcome difficult moments in the past.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • complicados (complicated)
  • duros (hard, tough)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • tiempos difícileshard times
  • problemas difícilesdifficult problems

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "difíciles" in Spanish:

challengingdifficulttricky

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: difíciles

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'difíciles'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
útilesmóviles
📚 Etymology

Comes directly from the Latin word *difficilis*, which was formed by combining *dis-* (meaning 'apart' or 'not') and *facilis* (meaning 'easy' or 'doable'). So, the word literally means 'not easy to do.'

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: difficilePortuguese: difíceis

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'difícil' gain '-es' in the plural instead of just '-s'?

If a Spanish word ends in a consonant (like 'difícil' ending in 'l'), you must add 'es' to make it plural, not just 's'. This makes the word easier to pronounce: difícil + es = difíciles.

Can I use 'difíciles' to describe people?

Yes, absolutely! It means someone is challenging, demanding, or hard to deal with. For example, 'Mis jefes son muy difíciles' (My bosses are very difficult).