How to Say ‘It was hard / difficult’ in Japanese
大変だった
taihen datsu ta
[taihen dat tah]
💬 Usage Tip: [大変だった] is the past form, meaning “it was tough.” Even though it is past tense, it can still feel emotionally close, like reporting a rough experience.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese speakers often describe a hard day with [大変だった]. It sounds natural and relatable, especially after work, school, or a stressful event.
Phrase Breakdown
大変
taihen
[taihen]
tough; hard; difficult
Used when something is difficult, stressful, or a lot to handle.
仕事が大変だった。
Work was tough.
だっ
datsu
[dat]
was
Part of the past form だった, meaning was in casual speech.
昨日は忙しかった。
Yesterday was busy.
た
ta
[tah]
past tense ending
Final part of the casual past form here.
少し疲れた。
I got a little tired.
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