This one’s a super idiomatic way to say something’s hard / difficult:
👉 it’s hard / it’s difficult
You’ll often see it with an indirect object pronoun to show WHO finds it tough:
Me cuesta trabajo. = I find it difficult.Te cuesta trabajo. = You find it difficult.
Etc., etc.
🌪️ When to whip it out
Anytime you want to say that something’s difficult:
El español me cuesta mucho trabajo.
I find Spanish really hard.
Cuesta trabajo, ¿verdad?
It’s difficult, isn’t it?
⚠️ Tone
✅ Neutral and polite.
✅ VERY common in everyday convos with teachers, coworkers, abuelas, etc.
🔁 Similar chunks
Me cuestaEstá cañónEstá cabrónEstá perroEstá bien difícilEstá color de hormiga
Mexico City
Yucatán
Monterrey (full speed 💨)
A mi hijo le cuesta trabajo dormir solo.My son finds it hard to sleep alone.
Nos cuesta trabajo organizarnos con tantos pendientes.It’s hard for us to stay organized with so much to do.