adjective
hard, tough
A2
'hart' means physically hard/firm or figuratively difficult/tough. It's a gradable adjective: comparative 'härter' (note umlaut) and superlative 'am härtesten'. Common antonyms are 'zart' and 'weich'. Not a participle; it describes texture, surfaces, people or situations and is used attributively and predicatively.
Examples
Die Prüfung war hart, obwohl viele Studenten länger als erwartet gelernt hatten.
The exam was hard, although many students had studied longer than expected.
Die Arbeit war sehr hart, aber ich habe es geschafft.
The work was very tough, but I managed it.
Das Brot ist heute hart.
The bread is hard today.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture a rock labeled 'hart' to remember 'hard'.
hart sounds like 'heart' without the vowel shift — think a hard heart.
Notes
Comparative: härter; superlative: am härtesten.