lucha cuesta arriba
/lut͡ʃa kwesta ariba/from spelling rules
The English phrase "uphill struggle" is translated into Spanish as lucha cuesta arriba.
This phrase describes a difficult task that requires a great deal of effort to achieve success.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of lucha (struggle/fight) and cuesta arriba (uphill/going up a slope).
Which one should you use?
The word batalla (battle) can be substituted for lucha to express a similar sentiment of an uphill battle (una batalla cuesta arriba).
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a noun phrase, it typically requires an indefinite article like una to function as "an uphill struggle" (una lucha cuesta arriba).
Did you know?
- In professional wrestling, lucha libre uses the same root as lucha. The term describes 'free fighting' and is a deeply ingrained part of Mexican cultural identity.
- The word cuesta comes from the Latin word for 'rib'. This is because the slope of a hill resembles the curve of a human rib.
- In many Spanish dialects, if a task is extremely difficult, you might hear people say it is un camino de espinas, or 'a path of thorns'.
Examples in context
- Juan enfrentó una lucha cuesta arriba para superar su adicción.Juan faced an uphill struggle to overcome his addiction.
- Ana enfrenta una jornada cuesta arriba para conseguir una promoción laboral.Ana faces an uphill struggle to get a promotion at work.
- Ganar este caso será una lucha cuesta arriba.Winning this case will be an uphill struggle.
- Conseguir este permiso es una lucha cuesta arriba.Getting this permit is an uphill struggle.
- El equipo enfrenta una lucha cuesta arriba este año.The team faces an uphill struggle this year.
- No quiero que tu carrera sea una lucha cuesta arriba.I don't want your career to be an uphill struggle.
Example conversation
Daniel and María are discussing the difficulty of a new business project.
- DanielEste nuevo proyecto parece una lucha cuesta arriba.This new project seems like an uphill struggle.
- MaríaEs verdad, Daniel, pero vale la pena el esfuerzo.It's true, Daniel, but the effort is worth it.
- Daniel¿Crees que María podrá ayudarnos con esto?Do you think María can help us with this?
- MaríaSí, ella tiene la experiencia necesaria.Yes, she has the necessary experience.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries arriba, cuesta, lucha, CC BY-SA 4.0.
