nehéz

Nehéz is a common Hungarian adjective with two primary meanings: physical heaviness and figurative difficulty. In everyday use it describes something with substantial weight, as in nehéz kő (a heavy stone), and, more often, the sense of complexity or challenge, as in a nehéz feladat (a difficult task), nehéz időszak (a difficult period), or nehéz döntés (a hard/weighty decision).

As a descriptive word, nehéz agrees with the noun in number and case, but its form remains nehéz in the singular. In the plural it combines with the noun (for example, nehéz munka, nehéz feladatok). In predicative position the sentence follows standard Hungarian syntax: A feladat nehéz. The adverbial form related to difficulty is nehezen, which is used primarily to modify verbs (to do something with difficulty).

Nehéz is a native Hungarian word and is part of everyday vocabulary. Its etymology traces back to the historical core of the language and it shows affinity with related Finno-Ugric languages, reflecting common linguistic heritage.

Common collocations include nehéz munka, nehéz feltételek, nehéz döntés, and nehézségekkel küzd (to cope with difficulties). The term contrasts with könnyű (easy, light) and with súlyos in contexts where a heavier or more grave quality is intended. The word also appears in various compound forms and set phrases across media, education, and literature.