hard to understand

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hard to understand" is correct and usable in written English.
You could use it when referring to something that is too difficult to comprehend or makes little sense. For example: "The professor's lectures are often hard to understand."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It's hard to understand.

The New York Times

It's hard to understand today.

The New York Times

What was hard to understand?

The New York Times

Is that hard to understand?

Independent

Probabilities are hard to understand.

The New York Times

Their queasiness is hard to understand.

The New York Times

The discrepancy is not hard to understand.

The New Yorker

It is hard to understand the puzzlement.

The New Yorker

I'm trying very hard to understand".

The New Yorker

What about that is hard to understand?

The New York Times

He is so hard to understand.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use simple language and avoid jargon to prevent your writing from being "hard to understand".

Common error

Avoid stacking multiple clauses and convoluted phrasing. Break down complex ideas into shorter, more digestible sentences to prevent your message from becoming "hard to understand".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hard to understand" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun or pronoun by describing something that is difficult to comprehend. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Academia

10%

Science

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "hard to understand" is a common and grammatically sound way to express difficulty in comprehension. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it's widely used across diverse contexts, from news and media to academic writing. While alternatives like "difficult to comprehend" or "challenging to fathom" can add variety, "hard to understand" remains a straightforward and effective choice. When using this phrase, ensure clarity by providing concrete examples and avoiding overly complex sentence structures.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficult to comprehend

Replaces "hard" with "difficult" and "understand" with "comprehend", maintaining similar meaning.

not easily understood

Expresses the difficulty in understanding using a passive construction.

tough to grasp

Uses "tough" instead of "hard" and "grasp" instead of "understand", offering a more informal tone.

challenging to fathom

Substitutes "hard" with "challenging" and "understand" with "fathom", suggesting a deeper level of difficulty.

beyond my comprehension

Indicates that something exceeds one's ability to understand.

incomprehensible

A single-word adjective meaning impossible to understand.

impenetrable

Suggests that something is impossible to understand or get through, like a barrier.

opaque

Uses "opaque" to describe something that is unclear and difficult to see through metaphorically, implying a lack of transparency in understanding.

murky

Suggests that something is unclear or confused, making it hard to understand, similar to a murky liquid.

arcane

Implies that something is mysterious or obscure, and therefore difficult to understand, often associated with specialized knowledge.

FAQs

What does "hard to understand" mean?

The phrase "hard to understand" means that something is difficult to comprehend or grasp. It indicates a lack of clarity or complexity that hinders understanding.

How can I use "hard to understand" in a sentence?

You can use "hard to understand" to describe anything that's difficult to comprehend. For example, "The instructions were "difficult to follow"" or "His accent was "difficult to understand"".

What can I say instead of "hard to understand"?

You can use alternatives like "difficult to comprehend", "tough to grasp", or "challenging to fathom" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "hardly understandable"?

While "hardly understandable" is grammatically correct, it has a slightly different meaning. It means something is almost impossible to understand, whereas "hard to understand" simply implies it requires effort.