Inklingo

How to Say "arduous" in Spanish

English → Spanish

costoso

/kos-TO-so//kosˈtoso/

adjectiveB2general
Use 'costoso' when the arduous task requires significant effort, time, or resources, implying it's 'taxing' or 'strenuous'.
A person pushing a massive, heavy boulder up a steep green hill.

Examples

Fue un proceso costoso y largo.

It was a difficult and long process.

Aprender un nuevo idioma es un camino costoso pero gratificante.

Learning a new language is a difficult but rewarding path.

La recuperación después de la cirugía fue lenta y costosa.

The recovery after the surgery was slow and arduous.

Abstract Use

When used this way, 'costoso' refers to the 'price' you pay in terms of energy, time, or sweat rather than dollars and cents.

penoso

/peh-NOH-soh//peˈnoso/

adjectiveC1general
Choose 'penoso' when the arduous task is difficult to bear or endure, often implying suffering or hardship involved in the effort.
A person pushing a very large, heavy boulder up a steep green hill.

Examples

Después de un penoso trabajo de diez horas, terminamos el proyecto.

After ten hours of strenuous work, we finished the project.

El ascenso a la cumbre fue largo y penoso.

The climb to the summit was long and arduous.

Tuvieron que realizar una penosa marcha por el desierto.

They had to undertake a laborious march through the desert.

Word Order for Emphasis

Placing 'penoso' before the noun (e.g., 'un penoso trabajo') emphasizes the difficulty and the feeling of the effort involved.

Costoso vs. Penoso

Learners often confuse 'costoso' and 'penoso' because both mean difficult. Remember that 'costoso' focuses on the effort and resources expended (taxing), while 'penoso' emphasizes the suffering or difficulty in enduring the task itself.

Related Translations

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