"de" before infinitive
5
votes
This sentence was given to me as a correct sentence:
Porque el libro era muy difícil de leer. (Because the book was very hard to read.)
Why is there a "de" before leer there? Why can't it just be:
Porque el libro era muy difícil leer.
I don't understand. Could someone please help me?
4573 views
updated Feb 25, 2011
posted by 00828565
1 Answer
9
votes
Fácil, difícil and imposible when qualifying an action (ie. the verb) are followed directly by the infinitive:
Solving the problem is easy, It's easy to solve the problem
Es fácil resolver el problema.
But when the adjective qualifies a noun or pronoun rather than the verb, de is inserted before the infinitive:
The problem is easy to solve
El problema es fácil de resolver
Hope that helps 
updated Oct 25, 2010
edited by Kiwi-Girl
posted by Kiwi-Girl
una respuesta impresionante! - mountaingirl123, Oct 24, 2010
ja ja thanx Mountaingirl :) - Kiwi-Girl, Oct 24, 2010
Very nice. The only thing that I'd emphasize is that in the original question difícil is talking about the book (noun), not reading (verb), and thus Maria-Claire's answer. - KevinB, Oct 24, 2010
Thanks for explaining that so well. - sagiia, Oct 24, 2010
