Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use 'a custo' to describe achieving something only after immense struggle, physical effort, or significant personal sacrifice.
- Means: Achieving a result with great difficulty or pain.
- Used in: Professional reports, literature, and serious personal anecdotes.
- Don't confuse: 'Ao custo de' (at the price of) with 'a custo' (with effort).
Erklärung auf deinem Niveau:
Bedeutung
Describes an action performed with great effort or sacrifice.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In Portugal, 'a custo' is often linked to the historical resilience of the people, especially in the context of the sea and the 'Descobrimentos'. It carries a sense of stoicism. Brazilians might use 'a custo' in formal news, but in daily life, they often say 'com muito sacrifício' to emphasize the emotional drama of the effort. In Angolan literature, 'a custo' is frequently used to describe the hardships of the colonial era and the subsequent reconstruction of the country. Similar to Angola, it appears in formal speeches regarding national development and overcoming natural disasters like cyclones.
Use 'A Muito Custo'
Adding 'muito' makes you sound much more like a native speaker when describing a truly exhausting task.
No Crase!
Never put an accent on the 'a'. It's a common mistake even for native speakers, but at C1 level, you must be precise.
Use 'A Muito Custo'
Adding 'muito' makes you sound much more like a native speaker when describing a truly exhausting task.
No Crase!
Never put an accent on the 'a'. It's a common mistake even for native speakers, but at C1 level, you must be precise.
The 'Sufoco' Alternative
In Brazil, if you want to sound less formal, replace 'a custo' with 'no sufoco' in social settings.
Teste dich selbst
Complete a frase com a expressão correta.
O maratonista cruzou a linha de chegada ______, caindo de exaustão logo em seguida.
'A custo' is the standard adverbial phrase. No crase is used.
Qual frase usa 'a custo' de forma natural?
Selecione a opção correta:
This shows a psychological/persuasion struggle, which is a perfect use case.
Complete o diálogo.
Ana: 'Você conseguiu terminar a tradução?' Pedro: 'Sim, ______.'
In a short response, 'foi a custo' (it was with difficulty) is the most natural way to confirm the effort.
Combine a situação com a frase.
Situação: Um idoso subindo uma ladeira íngreme.
Describes physical effort correctly.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
A Custo vs. À Custa De
Aufgabensammlung
5 AufgabenO maratonista cruzou a linha de chegada ______, caindo de exaustão logo em seguida.
'A custo' is the standard adverbial phrase. No crase is used.
Selecione a opção correta:
This shows a psychological/persuasion struggle, which is a perfect use case.
Ana: 'Você conseguiu terminar a tradução?' Pedro: 'Sim, ______.'
In a short response, 'foi a custo' (it was with difficulty) is the most natural way to confirm the effort.
Situação: Um idoso subindo uma ladeira íngreme.
Describes physical effort correctly.
🎉 Ergebnis: /5
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNot exactly. 'Hardly' often means 'scarcely' (mal/apenas). 'A custo' means 'with great effort'.
Yes, but it implies the positive thing was hard to get. 'Consegui o prêmio a custo.'
It is used in both, but it sounds slightly more 'everyday' in Portugal and more 'formal/literary' in Brazil.
Yes, 'com custo' is a common variant, but 'a custo' is considered more elegant in writing.
No, it can go at the beginning for emphasis: 'A custo, ele subiu.'
Yes, 'custoso' is an adjective meaning difficult or expensive. 'É um trabalho custoso' = 'It is a difficult job'.
Absolutely. It's perfect for describing a difficult achievement to a client or boss.
'Sem esforço' (without effort) or 'facilmente' (easily).
Yes. 'A custo, ela perdoou o amigo.' (With difficulty, she forgave her friend.)
'A custos' exists in old literature but is rare today. Stick to 'a custo'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
A duras penas
synonymWith great difficulty and suffering.
Com sacrifício
similarWith sacrifice.
À custa de
specialized formAt the expense of.
Facilmente
contrastEasily.
A ferros
synonymWith extreme difficulty (PT-PT).
Wo du es verwendest
Job Interview
Entrevistador: Como você lidou com o prazo apertado do último projeto?
Candidato: Foi um desafio imenso. A custo, reorganizei a equipe e entregamos tudo no prazo.
Sports Commentary
Narrador: O Brasil venceu a partida de hoje!
Comentarista: Sim, mas foi a custo. O adversário estava muito bem retrancado.
Academic Context
Professor: A sua tese apresenta dados muito complexos.
Aluno: Sim, obtive esses resultados a custo, após meses de laboratório.
Family Discussion
Mãe: Finalmente o seu irmão arrumou o quarto.
Pai: Pois é, mas foi a custo. Tive que prometer que o levaria ao cinema.
Medical Update
Médico: Como está a recuperação da cirurgia?
Paciente: Estou melhorando, mas ainda caminho a custo.
News Report
Repórter: A lei foi aprovada no congresso?
Âncora: Sim, a custo de muitas negociações e emendas de última hora.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Think of 'Custo' as 'Cost'. If something is done 'a custo', you are paying for it with your own energy.
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a person pushing a massive stone sphere up a steep hill. Every inch gained is 'a custo'.
Rhyme
Se o sucesso veio a custo, o orgulho é justo.
Story
Joaquim queria ser médico. Ele não tinha dinheiro e trabalhava à noite. Ele estudava nos intervalos, dormindo apenas três horas. Depois de seis anos, ele se formou. Ele conseguiu o diploma 'a custo', mas hoje salva vidas.
In Other Languages
In Spanish, 'a duras penas' is very similar. In English, 'with great difficulty' or 'hard-won' captures the essence.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Write a 3-sentence paragraph about the hardest thing you did this week using 'a custo'.
Review this phrase whenever you feel tired after a long task. Say to yourself: 'Terminei a custo!'
Aussprache
Short, neutral 'a', like the 'a' in 'about'.
The 'u' is like 'boot', and the final 'o' is often reduced to a 'u' sound.
Formalitätsspektrum
Concluímos o projeto a custo, dadas as adversidades técnicas. (Work project completion)
Conseguimos terminar o projeto a custo. (Work project completion)
A gente terminou o projeto no sufoco. (Work project completion)
Terminamos o projeto no veneno. (Work project completion)
Derived from the Latin 'constare' (to stand firm / to cost). It entered Portuguese as 'custo' (noun) and eventually formed the adverbial locution 'a custo' to describe the 'price' of human action.
Wusstest du?
The word 'custo' is a 'cousin' of the English word 'constant'—both come from the same Latin root about 'standing firm'.
Kulturelle Hinweise
In Portugal, 'a custo' is often linked to the historical resilience of the people, especially in the context of the sea and the 'Descobrimentos'. It carries a sense of stoicism.
“Os navegadores dobraram o cabo a custo.”
Brazilians might use 'a custo' in formal news, but in daily life, they often say 'com muito sacrifício' to emphasize the emotional drama of the effort.
“A custo, o time conseguiu o empate no último minuto.”
In Angolan literature, 'a custo' is frequently used to describe the hardships of the colonial era and the subsequent reconstruction of the country.
“A liberdade foi conquistada a custo.”
Similar to Angola, it appears in formal speeches regarding national development and overcoming natural disasters like cyclones.
“A cidade foi reconstruída a custo após a tempestade.”
Gesprächseinstiege
Qual foi a tarefa que você concluiu a custo esta semana?
Você acha que as melhores coisas da vida vêm a custo ou facilmente?
Descreva um momento em que você teve que conter o riso a custo.
Häufige Fehler
Eu fiz isso à custo.
Eu fiz isso a custo.
L1 Interference
Ele conseguiu o emprego à custa de muito esforço.
Ele conseguiu o emprego a custo de muito esforço.
L1 Interference
O livro custou a custo.
O livro foi caro.
L1 Interference
A muitos custos, terminamos.
A muito custo, terminamos.
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
A duras penas
Spanish emphasizes 'pains' while Portuguese emphasizes 'cost'.
À grand-peine
French is slightly more formal than the neutral Portuguese version.
Mit Mühe und Not
German implies a sense of urgency/emergency that 'a custo' doesn't always have.
やっとのことで (Yatto no koto de)
Focuses on the result's timing rather than the process's weight.
بشق الأنفس (Bi-shaqq al-anfus)
The Arabic version is much more visceral/intense.
费力 (Fèi lì)
It is often used as an adjective rather than an adverbial phrase.
간신히 (Gansinhi)
Emphasizes the narrowness of success.
A ferros (PT-PT)
More common in European Portuguese than Brazilian Portuguese.
Spotted in the Real World
“Ega, a custo, desprendeu-se daquela contemplação.”
A character struggling to look away from something captivating.
“O governo aprovou o orçamento a muito custo.”
Reporting on a difficult political negotiation.
“Subiu a construção como se fosse máquina / Ergueu no patamar quatro paredes flácidas / Sentou-se a descansar como se fosse sábado...”
While the phrase 'a custo' isn't in this specific line, the entire song is the ultimate cultural representation of doing things 'a custo'.
Leicht verwechselbar
Learners often add a crase to 'a custo' or use 'à custa de' when they mean 'with effort'.
If you can replace it with 'with difficulty', use 'a custo'. If you mean 'paid by', use 'à custa de'.
Learners think 'a custo' relates to the value of a product.
'Custo-benefício' is for shopping; 'a custo' is for doing.
Häufig gestellte Fragen (10)
Not exactly. 'Hardly' often means 'scarcely' (mal/apenas). 'A custo' means 'with great effort'.
comparisonsYes, but it implies the positive thing was hard to get. 'Consegui o prêmio a custo.'
usage contextsIt is used in both, but it sounds slightly more 'everyday' in Portugal and more 'formal/literary' in Brazil.
cultural usageYes, 'com custo' is a common variant, but 'a custo' is considered more elegant in writing.
grammar mechanicsNo, it can go at the beginning for emphasis: 'A custo, ele subiu.'
grammar mechanicsYes, 'custoso' is an adjective meaning difficult or expensive. 'É um trabalho custoso' = 'It is a difficult job'.
basic understandingAbsolutely. It's perfect for describing a difficult achievement to a client or boss.
practical tips'Sem esforço' (without effort) or 'facilmente' (easily).
basic understandingYes. 'A custo, ela perdoou o amigo.' (With difficulty, she forgave her friend.)
usage contexts'A custos' exists in old literature but is rare today. Stick to 'a custo'.
grammar mechanics
