es difícil

is difficult

→ ser
phrase Very common #550
is difficult A common pattern is "Es difícil + infinitive," which usually translates as "It's difficult to..." In other sentences, it simply means that something is difficult.
SP: Aprender un idioma nuevo es difícil.
EN: Learning a new language is difficult.

Es difícil, es difícil.

It's difficult, it's difficult.

— Ladrón de bicicletas (1948)

Es difícil permanecer consciente mientras se sueña.

It is difficult to remain conscious while dreaming.

Es difícil fallar desde aquí.

It's hard to fail from here.

— Uno de los nuestros (1990)

Es difícil, ¿sabes?

It's difficult, you know?

— La vida es bella (1997)

Esto es difícil para Tom.

This is difficult for Tom.

Es difícil de olvidar.

It's hard to forget.

— La increíble historia de David Copperfield (2019)

Es difícil que la gente cambie.

It’s difficult for people to change.

Es difícil abandonar el hábito de fumar.

It's hard to quit smoking.

Es difícil hablar con él.

He's difficult to talk to.

Entiendo lo que se dice y se escribe, pero hablar es difícil para mí.

I understand what is said and written, but speaking is difficult for me.

Es difícil decir.

It's hard to say.

— Retrato de una mujer en llamas (2019)

Bueno, el inicio es difícil.

Well, the beginning is difficult.

— Mike y Nick y Nick y Alice (2026)

Le es difícil resolver este problema.

He/She finds it difficult to solve this problem.

Es difícil recordar todas estas reglas, pero es necesario.

It’s difficult to remember all these rules, but it’s necessary.

Es difícil amar a alguien que está tan lleno de rabia.

It's hard to love someone who is so full of rage.

— Valor sentimental (2025)

Sé que es difícil de aceptar.

I know it's hard to accept.

— Mike y Nick y Nick y Alice (2026)

Es difícil hablar tres idiomas.

It's difficult to speak three languages.

El italiano no es difícil.

Italian isn’t difficult.

Es difícil despertarse sin una taza de café fuerte.

It's hard to wake up without a strong cup of coffee.

Pareces alguien con quien es difícil trabajar.

You seem like someone who is difficult to work with.

— Drive (2011)

Realmente esperanto no es difícil.

Esperanto really isn't difficult.

Es difícil resolver ese problema.

That problem is difficult to solve.

Es difícil ayudar a la gente que no quiere ayuda.

It’s difficult to help people who don’t want help.

Su condición es difícil.

His condition is difficult.

Sé que es difícil hablar al respecto.

I know it's difficult to talk about.

Jack es difícil de convencer.

Jack is hard to convince.

Para mí es difícil levantarme antes de las seis.

It's difficult for me to get up before six.

Es difícil hoy, pero siempre habrá un mañana.

It's difficult today, but there will always be a tomorrow.

— Eternity (2025)

No es difícil escucharte.

It's not difficult to hear you.

El francés es difícil, ¿no crees?

French is difficult, don't you think?

Es difícil distinguir lo verdadero y lo falso.

It is difficult to distinguish between true and false.

Así es difícil.

That's difficult.

Es difícil robar a un ladrón.

It’s hard to steal from a thief.

Dominar el inglés es difícil.

Mastering English is difficult.

Es difícil comprender el idioma de ustedes, si piensan en dos diferentes.

It is difficult to understand your language if you are thinking in two different ones.

— ¡Kin-Dza-Dza! (1986)

Es difícil levantarse temprano en las mañanas de invierno.

It's difficult to get up early on winter mornings.

No es difícil.

It's not difficult.

— La gran enfermedad del amor (2017)

Es difícil elegir.

It's difficult to choose.

Tom es difícil de tratar.

Tom is difficult to deal with.

Es difícil seguir la pista.

It's difficult to track.

— Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

El régimen es difícil.

The regime is difficult.

Es difícil luchar realmente contra corriente.

It's difficult to truly fight against the current.

Estudiar una lengua extranjera es difícil.

Studying a foreign language is difficult.

No sé, es difícil.

I don't know, it's difficult.

— Lars y una chica de verdad (2007)

Es difícil sorprender a Tom.

It’s hard to surprise Tom.

Como se suele decir, es difícil adaptarse a un nuevo entorno.

As they say, it's difficult to adapt to a new environment.

Esa tarea es difícil.

That task is difficult.

A veces es difícil persuadir a los niños a comer.

Sometimes it’s difficult to persuade children to eat.

La vida en pareja es difícil.

Life as a couple is difficult.

— La vida de Adèle (2013)

Es difícil convencer a John.

It's difficult to convince John.

Es difícil para aquellos que están tristes fingir alegría.

It is difficult for those who are sad to pretend to be happy.

Él tiene presente que el trabajo es difícil.

He is aware that the work is difficult.

Y es difícil comprender qué se siente ser un campeón mundial.

And it's hard to understand what it feels like to be a world champion.

— Senna (2010)

Un amigo es difícil de encontrar y fácil de perder.

A friend is hard to find and easy to lose.

Es difícil tocar el piano.

It's difficult to play the piano.

Es difícil criar hijas estando solo.

It is difficult to raise daughters on your own.

— Comer, beber, amar (1994)

Es difícil para mí resolver ese problema.

It's difficult for me to solve that problem.

Sabemos que es difícil, pero por favor, no traduzcas de forma literal.

We know it's difficult, but please don't translate literally.

El francés no es difícil.

French is not difficult.

Es difícil entenderlo, ¿no?

It's hard to understand, isn't it?

— Primate (2026)

Es difícil vivir en esta ciudad.

It's difficult to live in this city.

La dieta es difícil.

The diet is difficult.

Es difícil de creer.

It's hard to believe.

— Ratatouille (2007)

Es difícil para un anciano cambiar su manera de pensar.

It is difficult for an elderly person to change their way of thinking.

Nos es difícil decidir cuál comprar.

It's difficult for us to decide which one to buy.

Es difícil evaluar su capacidad.

It’s difficult to assess their ability.

Es difícil, pero habrá que hacerlo por Michelle.

It’s difficult, but it has to be done for Michelle.

— Black (2005)

Es difícil de explicar.

It's difficult to explain.

— Un día de furia (1993)

Ese trabalenguas es difícil de decir.

That tongue twister is difficult to say.

Es difícil porque no sé cómo te sientes.

It's difficult because I don't know how you feel.

— Ahora me ves 3 (2025)

Hablar el inglés bien es difícil.

Speaking English well is difficult.

Es difícil hablar bien chino.

It's difficult to speak Chinese well.

Lo intentaremos, pero es difícil obtener información de la Gestapo.

We will try, but it is difficult to obtain information from the Gestapo.

— Roma. Ciudad abierta (1945)

Es difícil.

It's difficult.

— La princesa Mononoke (1997)

Esto es difícil para todos nosotros.

This is difficult for all of us.

— Whistle: El silbido del mal (2026)

Es difícil de saber.

It’s hard to know.

— La cinta blanca (2009)

Ser humano es difícil.

Being human is difficult.

— TRON: Ares (2025)

Es difícil que uno admita que es un perdedor.

It's hard for someone to admit that they're a loser.

Me gusta mi trabajo, aunque es difícil.

I like my job, even though it's difficult.

Es difícil admitir que eres un perdedor.

It’s hard to admit that you’re a loser.

Es difícil hablar de tus sentimientos.

It's difficult to talk about your feelings.

No es difícil aprender holandés.

Learning Dutch isn't difficult.

Para algunos es difícil explicar el rock, explicarlo de verdad.

For some, it's difficult to explain rock music, to really explain it.

— Casi famosos (2000)

Una vez que se empieza a fumar, es difícil dejar ese mal hábito.

Once you start smoking, it's difficult to quit that bad habit.

Es difícil dejar de fumar.

It's difficult to quit smoking.

Es difícil relajarse cuando te duele la cabeza.

It's hard to relax when you have a headache.

Él es un hombre con el cual es difícil hacer negocios.

He is a man with whom it is difficult to do business.

Es difícil aprender cuando no aprendes.

It's difficult to learn when you don't learn.

Sé que es difícil de creer.

I know it's hard to believe.

El terreno es difícil.

The terrain is difficult.

— Как я провёл этим летом (2010)

Venecia es difícil para las señoras.

Venice is difficult for ladies.

— Locuras de verano (1955)

Es difícil hacer arrancar el coche en las mañanas frías.

It’s difficult to start the car on cold mornings.

Es difícil diferenciar a esos dos gemelos porque se parecen mucho.

It’s difficult to tell those two twins apart because they look so much alike.

Es difícil respirar cuando hay mucha humedad.

It’s difficult to breathe when it’s very humid.

Es difícil cambiar eso.

It's difficult to change that.

— Funny Games (1997)

Sé que es difícil, pero observen bien a este hombre.

I know it's difficult, but take a good look at this man.

— Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005)

Es difícil imaginar la vida sin televisión o internet.

It’s hard to imagine life without television or the internet.

No es difícil morir bien, lo difícil es vivir bien.

It is not difficult to die well; what is difficult is to live well.

— Roma. Ciudad abierta (1945)

El apellido de Tom es difícil de pronunciar.

Tom's last name is difficult to pronounce.

El francés es difícil, ¿verdad?

French is difficult, isn’t it?

A la gente no le gusta trabajar con Tom porque es difícil llevarse bien con él.

People don't like working with Tom because he's difficult to get along with.

Es difícil dominar el inglés.

English is difficult to master.

Es difícil saberlo, es un tipo ocupado.

It's hard to know, he's a busy guy.

— Naturaleza muerta (2006)

Eso es difícil.

That's difficult.

— El recuerdo de Marnie (2014)

Pero sin probarlo, es difícil decir algo.

But without trying it, it's hard to say anything.

— El viento se levanta (2013)

Es difícil conocer a gente tan agradable como tú.

It’s difficult to meet people as nice as you.

Disculpe el desorden, es difícil limpiar todo el día.

Excuse the mess, it's difficult to clean all day.

— Pixote, la ley del más débil (1980)

Es difícil llevar a cabo este plan.

This plan is difficult to implement.

Siempre es difícil empezar una carta.

It's always difficult to start a letter.

Es difícil ser actriz.

It's difficult being an actress.

— Valor sentimental (2025)

Es difícil conseguirlo en Alemania.

It is difficult to get in Germany.

— Ha vuelto (2015)

Es difícil morirse.

Dying is difficult.

— Vivir (1952)

Distinguir lo correcto de lo incorrecto es difícil a veces.

Distinguishing right from wrong is sometimes difficult.

La comedia en vivo es difícil cuando tu novia está en coma.

Live comedy is difficult when your girlfriend is in a coma.

— La gran enfermedad del amor (2017)

Es difícil tener tiempo para ti.

It is difficult to have time for yourself.

— Devdas (2002)

Es difícil creer que Tom en serio hizo eso.

It's hard to believe that Tom actually did that.

Es difícil para los extranjeros aprender japonés.

It is difficult for foreigners to learn Japanese.

Es difícil entender por qué quieres irte.

It's hard to understand why you want to leave.

Esta pregunta es difícil de responder.

This question is difficult to answer.

No entiendo el holandés porque es difícil.

I don't understand Dutch because it's difficult.

Papá, es difícil correr con esta ropa.

Dad, it's hard to run in these clothes.

— Dangal (2016)

Es difícil transmitir exactamente el significado.

It's difficult to convey the exact meaning.

Es difícil culpar a Tom.

It's hard to blame Tom.

Es difícil para mí.

It's difficult for me.

Sabía que era falso, pero es difícil verlo con mis propios ojos.

I knew it was fake, but it’s hard to see it with my own eyes.

— El jardín de los pecadores: Paradigma paradoja (Paradoja espiral) (2008)

Es difícil estar lejos de la familia durante las fiestas.

It's difficult to be away from family during the holidays.

Y aquí la percepción miente, porque alcanzar la armonía es difícil.

And here perception lies, because achieving harmony is difficult.

— El síndrome asténico (1989)

Es difícil, doctor.

It's difficult, doctor.

— Carandiru (2003)

Es difícil de describir.

It's difficult to describe.

— Parásitos (2019)

Es difícil pensar.

It's hard to think.

Es difícil expresar todo lo que hay en mi corazón.

It’s hard to express everything in my heart.

Es difícil, si no imposible, persuadirle.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to persuade him.

Aun es difícil decir algo ¿Pero pueden hacer algo?

It’s still difficult to say anything. But can they do something?

— Do You Thing (2001)

Es difícil de justificar.

It’s hard to justify.

La niña tiene problemas de atención y es difícil.

The girl has attention problems and is difficult.

— American Splendor (2003)

Es difícil prever los resultados de las elecciones.

It’s difficult to predict the election results.

Para los japoneses es difícil hablar inglés con soltura.

It is difficult for Japanese people to speak English fluently.

Aprender lenguas extranjeras es difícil.

Learning foreign languages is difficult.

Hacer amigos es fácil, pero es difícil deshacerse de ellos.

Making friends is easy, but getting rid of them is difficult.

Es difícil hablar con ellos cuando quieren pelear.

It's hard to talk to them when they want to fight.

El latín no es difícil.

Latin is not difficult.

Comprendo que es difícil de creer.

I understand that it's hard to believe.

Esta palabra es difícil de pronunciar.

This word is difficult to pronounce.

Es difícil decir qué coche es mejor.

It's hard to say which car is better.

Le es difícil resolver el problema.

He/She finds it difficult to solve the problem.

Es difícil quejarse de gente tan buena.

It’s hard to complain about such good people.

Es difícil alejarme de ti.

It is hard to tear myself away from you.

— Cuando pasan las cigüeñas (1957)

Es difícil hablar inglés.

It's difficult to speak English.

No es difícil cambiar una rueda.

Changing a tire is not difficult.

— Encontré al diablo (2010)

Sólo la primera vez es difícil.

Only the first time is difficult.

— Decision to Leave (2022)

Los estudiantes de geometría dicen que la geometría es difícil.

Geometry students say that geometry is difficult.

Es difícil describirlo.

It's difficult to describe it.

— La historia interminable (1984)

Es difícil resistirse.

It's hard to resist.

— Tropa de élite (2007)

Es difícil aprender un idioma extranjero.

It's difficult to learn a foreign language.

Aprender una lengua extranjera es difícil.

Learning a foreign language is difficult.

Sé que es difícil de ver.

I know it's hard to see.

Es difícil hacerlo feliz.

It's difficult to make him happy.

No es difícil en absoluto hacerlo.

It isn't difficult at all to do it.

Todo comienzo es difícil.

Every beginning is difficult.

Es difícil distinguir la verdad de la mentira.

It’s difficult to distinguish truth from lies.

Es difícil responder esta pregunta.

It's difficult to answer this question.

Es difícil caminar en la arena.

It’s difficult to walk on sand.

Es difícil imaginar una vida sin mascotas.

It’s hard to imagine life without pets.

No es difícil si estudias.

It isn’t difficult if you study.

Es difícil dormirse cuando hace calor.

It’s hard to fall asleep when it’s hot.

Es difícil salir de aquí.

It is difficult to get out of here.

— Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)

Aunque el idioma ruso es difícil, Tom quiere aprenderlo.

Although the Russian language is difficult, Tom wants to learn it.

Es difícil llevarse bien con él.

He's difficult to get along with.

Es difícil sobrevivir si no eres un egoísta.

It is difficult to survive if you are not selfish.

— Rashomon (1950)

A veces es difícil elegir.

Sometimes it’s difficult to choose.

Para marcar cinco puntos es difícil, pero no imposible.

Scoring five points is difficult, but not impossible.

— Dangal (2016)

Pero es difícil leer las intenciones de alguien a quien no puedes ver.

But it's difficult to read the intentions of someone you can't see.

— Anatomía de una caída (2023)

Es difícil convencer a Jack.

It's difficult to convince Jack.

Es difícil olvidar, pero un día verás que la vida es maravillosa.

It's hard to forget, but one day you'll see that life is wonderful.

— Audition (2000)

Es difícil enseñar a la gente lo que no están dispuestos a aprender.

It’s difficult to teach people what they aren’t willing to learn.

Bueno, eso es difícil.

Well, that's difficult.

— Naturaleza muerta (2006)

Es difícil terminar el trabajo en un día.

It's difficult to finish the job in one day.

Es difícil creer que han sido sólo tres meses.

It's hard to believe it's only been three months.

— Avatar (2009)

Pero, es que es difícil.

But, you see, it's difficult.

— El orfanato (2007)

Es difícil para mi padre dejar la bebida.

It’s difficult for my father to quit drinking.

Hoy en día es difícil encontrar un trabajo.

Finding a job is difficult these days.

Es difícil vivir conmigo.

I'm difficult to live with.

— Rebeca (1940)

Es difícil de creer, pero él es fiel a su palabra.

It is hard to believe, but he is true to his word.

— El cuento de la princesa Kaguya (2013)

Es difícil para nosotros decidir cuál comprar.

It's difficult for us to decide which one to buy.

Es difícil evaluar el costo.

It is difficult to assess the cost.

— Oppenheimer (2023)

Es difícil, hay un baile de beneficencia mañana.

It's difficult, there's a charity ball tomorrow.

— El quinto elemento (1997)

Cuando es difícil como esto, sabes que se pondrá feo.

When it's as difficult as this, you know it's going to get ugly.

— El profesional (Léon) (1994)

Es difícil permanecer en la sombra, ¿eh?

It's hard to stay in the shadows, huh?

— Laurence Anyways (2012)

Aprender inglés es difícil.

Learning English is difficult.

Mi situación es difícil.

My situation is difficult.

— Cuando pasan las cigüeñas (1957)

Es difícil formar un gabinete.

Forming a cabinet is difficult.

Sé que esto es difícil.

I know this is difficult.

Es difícil, ¿verdad?

It's difficult, isn't it?

— Amarcord (1973)

Esto es difícil para ti, ¿verdad?

This is difficult for you, isn't it?

Es difícil de robar a un ladrón.

It's hard to steal from a thief.

Un problema tal es difícil de tratar.

Such a problem is difficult to deal with.

Es difícil que te guste algo que no conoces.

It's difficult to like something you don't know.

— Por un puñado de dólares (1964)

Es difícil acceder a él.

It is difficult to access.

Es difícil hablar de esto.

It's difficult to talk about this.

— Funny Games (1997)

Elon Musk es difícil de querer.

Elon Musk is difficult to like.