German Conversation · Level 184
29 words
German word
mühsam
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈmyːzaːm/
Meaning
- adjectivelaborious
Example
Die Reparatur war mühsam, aber jetzt funktioniert alles.
The repair was laborious, but everything is working now.
More examples
Die Übersetzung war eine mühsame Aufgabe.
The translation was a laborious task.
Core concept
A long uphill task that steadily drains time and effort, even when the goal itself is clear.
Common phrases
eine mühsame Aufgabe
a laborious task
ein mühsamer Weg
a laborious journey
auf mühsame Weise
in a laborious way
Similar words
aufwendig: Requiring much time, planning, or expense.
beschwerlich: Demanding and burdensome for the body or mind.
anstrengend: Using a great deal of strength or energy and causing fatigue.
Definition in German
Etwas, das viel Mühe, Zeit oder Anstrengung erfordert und deshalb lästig oder anstrengend ist.
Word origin
Mühsam is formed from the noun Mühe, meaning effort or trouble, and the suffix -sam, which describes something characterized by or requiring what the base denotes.
Usage tips
- Mühsam often describes the effortful process rather than intellectual difficulty, whereas schwierig focuses more directly on whether something is hard to solve or understand.