schwer
heavy
Having a high weight; the opposite of light.
EXAMPLE
Der Koffer ist zu schwer, ich kann ihn nicht alleine tragen.
The suitcase is too heavy; I can't carry it by myself.
schwer
heavy / difficult
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Meanings
schwer
difficult
Laborious, complicated, or demanding; the opposite of easy.
EXAMPLE
Die letzte Matheaufgabe war wirklich schwer.
The last math problem was really difficult.
schwer
serious
Serious, bad, or severe. Often used for illnesses, injuries, mistakes, or crimes.
EXAMPLE
Er erholt sich langsam von seiner schweren Krankheit.
He is slowly recovering from his serious illness.
schwer
difficult
Emotionally burdensome, oppressive, or filled with worry.
EXAMPLE
Sie musste eine schwere Entscheidung treffen.
She had to make a difficult decision.
sich schwertun mit
to struggle with
To have difficulties doing, understanding, or accepting something.
EXAMPLE
Ich tue mich schwer damit, früh aufzustehen.
I struggle with getting up early.
schwer
heavy
Refers to food that is very rich, fatty, and filling and may therefore feel burdensome for digestion.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem schweren Gänsebraten brauche ich einen Verdauungsschnaps.
After the heavy roast goose, I need a digestif.
Usage tips
Construction with dative
The expression 'jemandem schwerfallen' means that something is difficult for a person. The person experiencing the difficulty is always in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Es fällt mir schwer, diese Entscheidung zu treffen.
It is difficult for me to make this decision.
Context clue: weight or difficulty
Whether 'schwer' means 'high weight' or 'complicated' depends on the noun. If it refers to a physical object, it is about weight. If it refers to a task or topic, it is about difficulty.
EXAMPLE
Dieser Stein ist sehr schwer.
This stone is very heavy.
Use with infinitive
To express that an action is difficult, you can use the structure 'schwer zu + infinitive' (difficult to + infinitive).
EXAMPLE
Diese Frage ist schwer zu beantworten.
This question is difficult to answer.
Typical collocations: seriousness
In the meaning 'serious' or 'severe', 'schwer' is often combined with negative events. Typical examples are 'eine schwere Krankheit' (a serious illness), 'eine schwere Verletzung' (a serious injury), or 'ein schwerer Fehler' (a serious mistake).
EXAMPLE
Der Radfahrer hatte einen schweren Unfall.
The cyclist had a serious accident.
Typical collocations: emotions
When 'schwer' describes an emotional burden, it often appears with nouns like 'Herz' (heart), 'Zeit' (time), or 'Entscheidung' (decision). The expression 'mit schwerem Herzen' means that you do something sadly or reluctantly.
EXAMPLE
Er verabschiedete sich mit schwerem Herzen von seiner Familie.
He said goodbye to his family with a heavy heart.
Fixed expression with preposition
The reflexive expression 'sich schwertun mit' means 'to have difficulties with'. It is always used with the preposition 'mit' and the dative.
EXAMPLE
Viele Schüler tun sich mit der neuen Grammatik schwer.
Many students struggle with the new grammar.
Context clue: food
In connection with food and drink, 'schwer' means that something is very filling, fatty, or rich and weighs on the stomach.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem schweren Abendessen fühlte ich mich sehr müde.
After the heavy dinner, I felt very tired.
Compare with
ernsthartschlimmböseschwierigkompliziertargmühsamanspruchsvollgravierendschwerwiegendbelastendschwerlichreichhaltig
schwer vs ernst
serious
When talking about illnesses, both schwer and ernst can be appropriate. schwer mainly indicates a high degree of severity, whereas ernst places greater emphasis on the fact that the situation is worrying or may have dangerous consequences. schwer is often appropriate for a medical classification, while ernst is suitable when expressing concern about how the illness may develop.
schwer
Der Patient leidet an einer schweren Lungenentzündung.
The patient is suffering from severe pneumonia.
ernst
Die Lungenentzündung des Patienten ist ernst, weil gefährliche Folgen drohen.
The patient's pneumonia is serious because dangerous complications are possible.
In real life
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