mühsam
arduous
Etwas kostet viel Kraft und Zeit und fühlt sich anstrengend an.
The German word "mühsam" is an adjective that means "laborious," "arduous," or "difficult." It combines the root "müh" (which relates to effort or labor) and the suffix "-sam," which conveys abundance or quality. "Mühsam" describes something that requires significant effort and is often tedious or challenging.
Similar words in German include "beschwerlich" (burdensome), "anstrengend" (strenuous), and "schwierig" (difficult). The difference lies in nuance: while "mühsam" emphasizes the laborious aspect of a task, "anstrengend" focuses on physical exertion, and "schwierig" relates more broadly to the level of difficulty without necessarily implying effort.
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Examples
Das Lernen der neuen Sprache ist mühsam.adjective
Learning the new language is arduous.
Arbeit kann manchmal mühsam sein.adjective
Work can sometimes be arduous.
Nach der mühsamen Wanderung freuten sich alle auf eine Pause.adjective
After the arduous hike, everyone was looking forward to a break.
Sie fanden den langen Weg durch das Tal sehr mühsam.adjective
They found the long path through the valley very arduous.
Trotz der mühsamen Vorbereitung konnte das Team nicht rechtzeitig fertig werden.adjective
Despite the arduous preparation, the team could not finish on time.
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