jemandem schwerfallen
to be difficult
To be difficult or burdensome for someone and require a lot of effort.
EXAMPLE
Die neuen Regeln fallen mir noch schwer.
The new rules are still difficult for me.
schwerfallen
to be difficult
schwerfallen – fiel schwer – ist schwergefallen
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry schwerfallen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Present
| er/sie/es | fällt schwer |
|---|---|
| sie | fallen schwer |
Simple past
| er/sie/es | fiel schwer |
|---|---|
| sie | fielen schwer |
Perfect
with sein
| er/sie/es | ist schwergefallen |
|---|---|
| sie | sind schwergefallen |
Past perfect
| er/sie/es | war schwergefallen |
|---|---|
| sie | waren schwergefallen |
Future
| er/sie/es | wird schwerfallen |
|---|---|
| sie | werden schwerfallen |
Subjunctive I
| er/sie/es | falle schwer |
|---|---|
| sie | fallen schwer |
Used for reported speech.
Subjunctive II
| er/sie/es | fiele schwer |
|---|---|
| sie | fielen schwer |
Used for wishes and “would”.
Other forms
| infinitive | schwerfallen |
|---|---|
| with zu | schwerzufallen |
| present participle | schwerfallend |
| past participle | schwergefallen |
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Schwerfallen' (to be difficult) consists of 'schwer' (difficult) and 'fallen' (to fall) and is used as a separable verb. In a main clause, 'schwer' goes at the end of the sentence; in a subordinate clause, the two parts stay together. In an infinitive with 'zu', 'zu' goes between the two parts.
EXAMPLE
Die Prüfung fällt ihr besonders schwer.
The exam is particularly difficult for her.
Er sagt, dass ihm das Lesen schwerfällt.
He says that reading is difficult for him.
Die Entscheidung scheint ihm schwerzufallen.
The decision seems to be difficult for him.
Dative construction
With 'schwerfallen' (to be difficult), the person who finds something difficult is in the dative case. The difficult activity or thing is the subject of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Das lange Sitzen fällt meinem Großvater schwer.
Sitting for long periods is difficult for my grandfather.
Mir fällt es schwer, vor vielen Menschen zu sprechen.
It is difficult for me to speak in front of a lot of people.
Perfect tense with sein
The perfect tense of 'schwerfallen' (to be difficult) is formed with 'sein' (to be). The past participle goes at the end of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Der Abschied ist ihr sehr schwergefallen.
Saying goodbye was very difficult for her.
Am Anfang ist mir die neue Arbeit schwergefallen.
At first, the new job was difficult for me.
In real life
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