dificil
/dee-FEE-seel (Remember the stress is on the second 'i'!)/
difficult
A very steep mountain represents a difficult (dificil) task or problem.
📝 In Action
Aprender español no es difícil, pero requiere práctica.
A1Learning Spanish is not difficult, but it requires practice.
Resolver este problema de matemáticas fue muy difícil.
A2Solving this math problem was very hard.
Tuvieron un viaje difícil debido a la tormenta.
A2They had a difficult trip because of the storm.
💡 Grammar Points
Agreement in Number
Since 'difícil' is an adjective, it must match the thing it describes. For a plural noun, add '-es': 'las cosas difíciles' (the difficult things).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting Plural Agreement
Mistake: "Los exámenes es difícil."
Correction: Los exámenes son difíciles. (The exams are difficult.) Remember to add -es for plural nouns.
⭐ Usage Tips
Using 'Se hace difícil'
You can say 'Se me hace difícil...' to mean 'I find it difficult' or 'It's hard for me,' which is a very natural Spanish construction.
A demanding (dificil) person or client expects perfection and makes excessive requirements.
dificil(adjective)
demanding
?describing a person or client
,tricky
?describing a delicate situation
stubborn
?describing personality
📝 In Action
Es un niño muy difícil en la escuela; siempre quiere salirse con la suya.
B1He is a very difficult child at school; he always wants to get his own way.
La negociación fue difícil porque ninguna parte quería ceder.
B2The negotiation was tricky because neither side wanted to give in.
💡 Grammar Points
Describing People
When describing a permanent personality trait, you use the verb ser: 'Ella es difícil' (She is a difficult person).
⭐ Usage Tips
A Word of Caution
Using 'difícil' to describe a person often implies they are challenging, stubborn, or hard to satisfy, so use it carefully.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: dificil
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses the plural form of 'difícil'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'difícil' change for masculine and feminine nouns?
No. Because 'difícil' ends in the letter 'l', it stays the same whether the noun is masculine ('el libro difícil') or feminine ('la tarea difícil'). It only changes for plural ('difíciles').
Why is the word sometimes written without an accent?
The correct Spanish spelling is 'difícil' with an accent mark over the first 'i'. This accent shows where the stress falls when you pronounce the word (dee-FEE-sil). Writing it without the accent is a common mistake.