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German Phrase

Ist es schwer, eine spanische Paella zu machen?

/ɪst ɛs ˈʃveːɐ̯ ˈaɪ̐nə ˈʃpanɪʃə paˈeja tsu ˈmaxən/
Meaning"Is it hard to make a Spanish paella?"
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Meaning

The sentence asks whether preparing a Spanish paella is difficult. It can be used to gauge the perceived complexity of the cooking process, especially when discussing recipes with friends or in a cooking class.

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When to use

Use this phrase when you want to ask someone about the difficulty of cooking paella, compare it to other dishes, or decide whether to try it yourself.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Istesschwer,einespanischePaellazumachen?

1

Verb 'sein' + Adjektiv (schwer)

Use 'sein' with an adjective to ask about difficulty; the adjective stays in its base form.

2

Indefinitartikel 'eine' with feminine noun

Paella is feminine in German, so it takes the article 'eine' and the adjective ending '-e'.

3

Adjektivdeklination nach 'eine'

After the indefinite article, the adjective gets the weak ending '-e' (spanische).

4

Infinitiv mit 'zu' nach 'schwer'

When an adjective like 'schwer' describes an action, the infinitive is introduced with 'zu'.

🗨In Conversation

A

Ist es schwer, eine spanische Paella zu machen?

Is it hard to make a Spanish paella?

Nicht wirklich, wenn du die richtigen Zutaten hast und ein bisschen Geduld mitbringst.

Not really, if you have the right ingredients and a bit of patience.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Ist es schwer, eine spanische Paella machen?

    After 'schwer' you need the infinitive with 'zu'.

  • Ist es schwer, der spanische Paella zu machen?

    Paella is feminine, so the article must be 'die' or 'eine', not 'der'.

  • Ist es schweres, eine spanische Paella zu machen?

    The adjective stays in base form after 'sein', not declined.

↔Alternatives

  • Ist es schwierig, eine spanische Paella zuzubereiten?

    Is it difficult to prepare a Spanish paella?

  • Wie kompliziert ist es, eine spanische Paella zu kochen?

    How complicated is it to cook a Spanish paella?

  • Kann man eine spanische Paella leicht machen?

    Can one make a Spanish paella easily?

de

Cultural Tip

Paella originates from the Valencia region of Spain and traditionally includes rice, saffron, and a mix of seafood or meat. In Germany, you’ll often find a simplified version with chicken and chorizo. When talking about authenticity, you can mention "authentische spanische Paella" to show cultural awareness.