A small, determined cartoon person straining intensely while pushing a massive gray boulder up a slight green hill, illustrating hard work.

esfuerzos

ess-FWEHR-sohs

NounmB1

efforts?general attempts or hard work

Also:endeavors?formal attempts,attempts?tries

📝 In Action

Todos sus **esfuerzos** valieron la pena cuando ganó el campeonato.

All his **efforts** were worth it when he won the championship.

La compañía está haciendo grandes **esfuerzos** para reducir la contaminación.

The company is making great **efforts** to reduce pollution.

Necesitas más **esfuerzos** para terminar la carrera.

You need more **effort** (or 'more efforts') to finish the race.

Word Connections

Synonyms

intentos (attempts)
trabajo (work)

Antonyms

descuido (neglect)

Common Collocations

hacer esfuerzos – to make efforts
doblar los esfuerzos – to redouble/double efforts
recompensar los esfuerzos – to reward the efforts

Idioms & Expressions

A pesar de todos los esfuerzos – Despite all attempts/efforts

💡 Grammar Points

Plural Form

Esfuerzos is the plural form of the masculine noun 'esfuerzo' (effort). Remember to use the plural articles like los (the) or unos (some) before it.

Masculine Noun

Even though it ends in '-os,' like many plural nouns, its singular form is also masculine (el esfuerzo). Adjectives describing it must also be plural and masculine (e.g., grandes esfuerzos).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing Singular and Plural

Mistake: "Hizo mucho esfuerzo para terminar."

Correction: Hizo muchos **esfuerzos** para terminar. (Use the plural when referring to multiple actions or generalized hard work.)

⭐ Usage Tips

The 'Hacer' Connection

The most common way to use this word is with the verb hacer (to do/make), as in hacer esfuerzos (to make efforts).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: esfuerzos

Question 1 of 2

Which verb is most commonly used with 'esfuerzos' to mean 'to try hard'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

esfuerzo(effort (singular noun)) - noun

esforzarse(to make an effort / to strive (verb)) - verb

esforzado(hardworking / courageous (adjective)) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'esfuerzos' countable in Spanish?

Yes, unlike the English word 'effort,' which is often treated as uncountable, the Spanish plural **esfuerzos** is very common. You can count them (dos esfuerzos, tres esfuerzos) or refer to them generally (muchos esfuerzos).

When should I use the singular 'esfuerzo' versus the plural 'esfuerzos'?

Use **esfuerzo** (singular) when referring to the general concept of effort or a single action ('Fue un gran esfuerzo'). Use **esfuerzos** (plural) when referring to multiple attempts, repeated actions, or generalized hard work over time ('Todos mis esfuerzos').