Fácil

Fácil is a Spanish adjective meaning not difficult or requiring little effort, and it is used to describe tasks, problems, processes, or explanations that are simple to perform or understand. It can refer to anything from a straightforward assignment to an easily understood instruction, as in “un ejercicio fácil” or “fácil de entender.”

Etymology and cognates: Fácil derives from Latin facilis, meaning easy or agreeable, formed from facĕre “to do” plus a suffix that gives the sense of suitability. It has cognates in other Romance languages, such as facile in French and facile in Italian and Portuguese, all sharing a common root related to ease of doing or comprehension.

Morphology and usage: In Spanish, fácil is masculine and feminine in the singular with the same form (un problema fácil, una tarea fácil) and adopts a regular plural as fáciles (unos problemas fáciles, unas tareas fáciles). It often appears in combinations such as fácil de hacer or fácil de usar to express ease of execution or use. The word can be intensified with forms like facilísimo, meaning very easy, and appears in phrases such as “tan fácil” or “mucho más fácil.”

Related terms: Nouns like facilidad denote ease or convenience, while verbs like facilitar mean to facilitate or to make something easier. The opposite concept is difficult, expressed as difícil or complicad o in varying contexts.

See also: Dificultad; facilidad; facilitar; fácil de usar; facilidad de uso.