árduo

Arduo is an adjective used in Spanish and Portuguese to describe something difficult, laborious, or requiring substantial effort. It commonly refers to tasks, journeys, or efforts that are not easily accomplished and may involve endurance or perseverance. The feminine form is árdua and the plural forms are árduos (masculine) and árduas (feminine).

Etymology and cognates

Arduo derives from Latin arduus, meaning high, steep, or difficult. It is cognate with the English word arduous, reflecting a shared Romance-language heritage.

Usage and examples

In Spanish, common collocations include una tarea árdua (a difficult task), un camino árduo (an arduous road), and un esfuerzo árduo (an arduous effort). The adjective agrees with the noun in gender and number, so árdua is used with feminine nouns (una labor árdua).

In Portuguese, examples are uma tarefa árdua, um caminho árduo, and um esforço árduo. Like Spanish, it agrees in gender and number with the noun it describes.

Forms and style

árduo is more formal or literary in tone and can be found in writing, journalism, and formal speech. In everyday language, speakers may use synonyms such as difícil, laborioso, penoso, or exigente depending on context.

See also

Arduous as an English cognate; related terms in Romance languages include forms with similar roots. The adverbial use is less common; phrases such as “de forma árdua” are used to convey the sense of doing something arduously.