C1 Expression Formal

A custo.

With difficulty.

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).
🏔️ + 🏃‍♂️ = 🏆 (A custo)

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means something was very hard to do. You use it when you worked a lot to finish a task. For example: 'I finished my homework with difficulty.' In Portuguese, we say 'a custo'. It is like saying 'with a big cost of energy'.
You use 'a custo' to show that an action was not easy. It is more formal than just saying 'muito difícil'. When you say 'Ele chegou a custo', it means he arrived, but he was very tired or had many problems on the way. It is a good way to describe hard work.
At this level, you should use 'a custo' to add variety to your descriptions of effort. Instead of always using 'com muita dificuldade', 'a custo' sounds more natural in written stories or formal emails. It implies that the person had to sacrifice something, like time or comfort, to reach their goal. It often appears with the verb 'conseguir'.
'A custo' is an adverbial expression that emphasizes the arduous nature of an achievement. It suggests a process of overcoming resistance, whether internal (like laziness or fear) or external (like bad weather or lack of resources). It's common in news reports and professional contexts to describe difficult negotiations or complex projects that were finally completed.
As a C1 learner, you should recognize 'a custo' as a marker of sophisticated register. It functions as a nuanced alternative to 'a duras penas', focusing specifically on the 'toll' taken on the subject. It requires an understanding of the subtle difference between 'à custa de' (at the expense of) and 'a custo' (with difficulty). Mastery involves using it to convey a sense of gravitas and persistence in formal discourse or literary analysis.
In the realm of near-native mastery, 'a custo' is employed to evoke the philosophical weight of effort. It resonates with the Lusophone concept of 'luta' (struggle) and 'superação'. A C2 speaker uses this phrase to navigate the fine line between describing physical labor and psychological endurance, often utilizing its placement at the start of a sentence to create a dramatic, rhythmic pause that underscores the magnitude of the struggle described.

Meaning

Describes an action performed with great effort or sacrifice.

🌍

Cultural Background

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.

Meaning

Describes an action performed with great effort or sacrifice.

🎯

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.

Test Yourself

Complete a frase com a expressão correta.

O maratonista cruzou a linha de chegada ______, caindo de exaustão logo em seguida.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a custo

'A custo' is the standard adverbial phrase. No crase is used.

Qual frase usa 'a custo' de forma natural?

Selecione a opção correta:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: A custo, conseguimos convencer o diretor a mudar de ideia.

This shows a psychological/persuasion struggle, which is a perfect use case.

Complete o diálogo.

Ana: 'Você conseguiu terminar a tradução?' Pedro: 'Sim, ______.'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: foi a custo

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.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ele subiu a custo.

Describes physical effort correctly.

🎉 Score: /4

Visual Learning Aids

A Custo vs. À Custa De

A Custo
Esforço próprio Own effort
À Custa De
Sacrifício de algo/alguém Sacrifice of something/someone

Frequently Asked Questions

10 questions

Not 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'.

Related Phrases

🔄

A duras penas

synonym

With great difficulty and suffering.

🔗

Com sacrifício

similar

With sacrifice.

🔗

À custa de

specialized form

At the expense of.

🔗

Facilmente

contrast

Easily.

🔄

A ferros

synonym

With extreme difficulty (PT-PT).

Where to Use It

💼

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.

formal
⚽

Sports Commentary

Narrador: O Brasil venceu a partida de hoje!

Comentarista: Sim, mas foi a custo. O adversário estava muito bem retrancado.

neutral
🎓

Academic Context

Professor: A sua tese apresenta dados muito complexos.

Aluno: Sim, obtive esses resultados a custo, após meses de laboratório.

formal
🏠

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.

neutral
🏥

Medical Update

Médico: Como está a recuperação da cirurgia?

Paciente: Estou melhorando, mas ainda caminho a custo.

formal
📰

News Report

Repórter: A lei foi aprovada no congresso?

Âncora: Sim, a custo de muitas negociações e emendas de última hora.

formal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Custo' as 'Cost'. If something is done 'a custo', you are paying for it with your own energy.

Visual Association

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.

Word Web

esforçosacrifíciodificuldadesuorpersistêncialutavitóriaárduo

Challenge

Write a 3-sentence paragraph about the hardest thing you did this week using 'a custo'.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

A duras penas

Spanish emphasizes 'pains' while Portuguese emphasizes 'cost'.

French high

À grand-peine

French is slightly more formal than the neutral Portuguese version.

German moderate

Mit Mühe und Not

German implies a sense of urgency/emergency that 'a custo' doesn't always have.

Japanese partial

やっとのことで (Yatto no koto de)

Focuses on the result's timing rather than the process's weight.

Arabic high

بشق الأنفس (Bi-shaqq al-anfus)

The Arabic version is much more visceral/intense.

Chinese moderate

费力 (Fèi lì)

It is often used as an adjective rather than an adverbial phrase.

Korean moderate

간신히 (Gansinhi)

Emphasizes the narrowness of success.

Portuguese (Regional) high

A ferros (PT-PT)

More common in European Portuguese than Brazilian Portuguese.

Easily Confused

A custo. vs À custa de

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'.

A custo. vs Custo-benefício

Learners think 'a custo' relates to the value of a product.

'Custo-benefício' is for shopping; 'a custo' is for doing.

FAQ (10)

Not 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'.

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