la vida es dura
/la bida es duɾa/from spelling rules
The phrase "life is hard" in Spanish is la vida es dura.
la vida es dura is a phrase used to express that living involves many difficulties and struggles. You can intensify this expression by saying la vida es muy dura to mean "life is very hard".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the definite article la (the), the noun vida (life), the verb es (is) and the adjective dura (hard/tough).
Which one should you use?
la vida es dura implies a sense of toughness or harshness, whereas la vida es difícil focuses more on the complexity or difficulty of tasks. Additionally, the informal expression La vida está dura can be used to convey that life is tough, challenging or hard.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because vida is a feminine noun, the adjective must be the feminine form dura to ensure gender agreement.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying la vida es duro. Because vida is feminine, you must use the feminine adjective dura.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, people counter the gloom of la vida es dura with the idiom la vida es un carnaval, suggesting that one should live joyfully despite the struggles.
- While la vida es dura expresses a general truth about existence, saying la vida está dura often specifically signals that the current economic situation is difficult or that money is tight.
- The word es in this phrase shares the exact same ancestral root as the English word 'is' and the Sanskrit word 'asti'.
Examples in context
- La vida es dura.Life is hard.Tatoeba #631048 by Shishir, translation #630767 by CK
- La vida es dura y difícil.Life is hard and difficult.Tatoeba #9734959 by jmhk, translation #9734097 by Adelpa
- La vida es dura, pero yo soy más duro.Life is hard, but I am harder.Tatoeba #2680 by Shishir, translation #1477 by AlanF_US
- En ocasiones, la vida es difícil, pero siempre hay una manera de superar los desafíos.Sometimes life is hard, but there is always a way to overcome challenges.
- La vida es difícil, pero con perseverancia y determinación, lograrás tus metas.Life is hard, but with perseverance and determination, you will achieve your goals.
- En este mundo moderno, la vida es complicada, requiere adaptabilidad y resiliencia.In this modern world, life is complicated, requiring adaptability and resilience.
- No te preocupes, la vida está dura en ocasiones, pero siempre hay esperanza.Don't worry, life is tough sometimes, but there is always hope.
- ¡Hombre, la vida está dura últimamente, pero no podemos rendirnos!Man, life is tough lately, but we can't give up!
- A veces, la vida es una batalla constante, pero no debemos dejar que eso nos derrote.Sometimes life is a constant battle, but we must not let that defeat us.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their recent struggles over coffee.
- SofíaA veces siento que todo sale mal.Sometimes I feel like everything goes wrong.
- MateoLo sé, la vida es dura.I know, life is hard.
- Sofía¿Crees que las cosas mejorarán para nosotros?Do you think things will get better for us?
- MateoSí, solo debemos seguir adelante.Yes, we just have to keep going.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, la, vida, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
