Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| duro | /ˈdu.ɾu/ (Brazil) /ˈdu.ɾu/ (Portugal) |
|
| difícil | /d͡ʒiˈfi.siw/ (Brazil) /diˈfi.sil/ (Portugal) |
|
| rigoroso | /ʁi.ɡoˈɾo.zu/ (Brazil) /ʁi.ɡoˈɾo.zu/ (Rio de Janeiro) |
masculine |
In Portuguese, the translation depends on whether you are describing physical texture or the complexity of a task. Use duro to describe something that is physically hard, tough or dense. Figuratively, duro can also describe a person who is stern, harsh or unsympathetic. If you are referring to a task, concept or test that requires a lot of mental effort or is difficult to understand, use difícil. The adverb bem can be used in relation to thinking to mean doing so with much force or effort.
Which one should you use?
Use duro for physical hardness or texture. In contrast, use difícil for tasks or concepts that are complex or difficult to perform and understand.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective duro must agree in gender with the noun it modifies, changing to dura for feminine nouns. The form rigoroso is specifically masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
{'ipa': '/ˈdu.ɾu/', 'syllables': 2, 'stressed_syllable': '1 of 2'}
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using duro to mean 'difficult' when describing tasks. For example, instead of saying um exame duro, you should say um exame difícil to describe a hard test.
When do people say it?
In Brazil, the colloquial expression mamão com açúcar is used to describe something that is easy or a piece of cake.
Did you know?
- While difícil describes a hard task, the expression estar duro in Brazil can colloquially mean that someone is broke or has no money.
- The word duro shares a distant root with the Sanskrit word dūrá, which means 'distant' or 'far'.
- A person who is duro de ouvido is not physically hard, but rather hard of hearing.
Examples in context
- É duro, não é?It's hard, isn't it?This sentence is useful for confirming if something is hard using duro.Tatoeba #3490254 by piterkeo, translation #2548181 by CK
- O ferro é duro.Iron is hard.This sentence demonstrates the physical hardness of iron using duro.Tatoeba #1205229 by alexmarcelo, translation #278746 by Zifre
- Isto não é duro.This isn't hard.This sentence provides a negative example of physical hardness using duro.Tatoeba #2622504 by marcospcruz, translation #2233753 by CK
- É difícil aprender uma nova língua.It's hard to learn a new language.
- O exame foi muito difícil.The exam was really hard.
- Correr uma maratona é desafiador.Running a marathon is challenging.
- Ser cirurgião exige muito trabalho duro e dedicação.Being a surgeon requires hard work and dedication.
- Esse quebra-cabeças é muito difícil para mim.This puzzle is too hard for me.
- Arrumar um motor de carro pode ser bem complicado.Fixing a car engine can be quite difficult.
- 543 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Beatriz and Lucas are talking about their university exams.
- BeatrizVocê achou a prova de ontem duro?Did you find yesterday's test hard?
- LucasSim, foi um desafio muito duro.Yes, it was a very hard challenge.
- BeatrizEu também achei o conteúdo duro.I also thought the content was hard.
- LucasPrecisamos estudar mais para a próxima.We need to study more for the next one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hard” translations and entries duro, difícil, rigoroso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries difícil, duro, rigoroso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
