"difficult to understand" vs "difficult to be understood"

Question

"difficult to understand" vs "difficult to be understood"

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Difficult to understand' is used to describe something that is hard to comprehend, while 'difficult to be understood' is used to describe something that is hard for others to comprehend.

Last Updated: March 27, 2024

This phrase is used to describe something that is hard to comprehend or grasp.

Examples:

The professor's explanation was difficult to understand.
The concept was difficult to understand at first.
The instructions were difficult to understand without proper guidance.
The book was difficult to understand due to its complex language.
The technical jargon was difficult to understand for the beginners.

Alternatives:

hard to understand
challenging to understand
complex to understand
confusing to understand
not easy to understand

This phrase is used to describe something that is hard for others to comprehend or interpret.

Examples:

His accent was difficult to be understood by the audience.
The message was difficult to be understood due to the poor audio quality.
Her emotions were difficult to be understood by those around her.
The reasons behind his actions were difficult to be understood by his colleagues.
The implications of the decision were difficult to be understood by the team.

Alternatives:

hard to be understood
challenging to be understood
complex to be understood
confusing to be understood
not easy to be understood

Answer 1

difficult to understand

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to describe something that is hard to comprehend.

Answer 2

difficult to be understood

This phrase is correct and is used to describe something that is hard for others to comprehend.

"difficult to understand" vs "difficult to be understood"

difficult to understand

difficult to be understood

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