hard
The Afrikaans word for hard is hard.
hard is used to describe something that requires a lot of effort to do or understand.
Meaning: requiring a lot of effort to do or understand (adj)
Which one should you use?
While hard can be translated as moeilik when referring to a difficult task, in Afrikaans, hard is more commonly used to describe the intensity of an action, such as working hard.
How does it change in a sentence?
When hard is used as an adjective preceding a noun, it takes the inflected form harde, such as in the phrase harde werk (hard work).
Did you know?
- In Afrikaans, hard is the primary word for 'loud'. If you tell someone they are speaking hard, you are commenting on their volume rather than the difficulty of their speech.
- The expression hardloop means 'to run', literally combining hard (fast/intense) and loop (walk).
- If you describe a person as being hard, you are not commenting on their physical strength, but rather suggesting they are acting in a harsh or cruel manner.
Examples in context
- Ek het gister hard gewerk.I worked hard yesterday.This sentence demonstrates the use of hard to describe working with effort.Tatoeba #9141119 by Monde, translation #12944125 by Tom9358
- Ons dink die rede vir sy sukses was harde werk.We think the reason for his success was because of hard work.This sentence shows how to use the inflected form harde before a noun.Tatoeba #2364362 by siener, translation #400169 by CN
- Hy't hard gewerk.He worked very hard.This sentence shows how hard is used to describe working with intensity.Tatoeba #2364379 by siener, translation #291584 by CK
- Dit is 'n moeilike taak om 'n tweede taal te leer.It's a hard task to learn a second language.
- Die eksamen was swaar, maar ek het daarin geslaag.The exam was hard, but I passed.
- Dit is 'n moeilike konsep om te verstaan.It's a hard concept to understand.
- Die somme in daardie wiskundeboek is soms 'n groot moeilikheid.The problems in that math book are sometimes a big challenge.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nicola and Andries are discussing a difficult math problem.
- NicolaHierdie wiskunde-som is baie hard.This math problem is very hard.
- AndriesJa, ek dink dit is ook hard.Yes, I think it is hard too.
- NicolaKan jy my asseblief help, Andries?Can you please help me, Andries?
- AndriesEk sal probeer, Nicola.I will try, Nicola.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
