Spanish Expression · Advanced
a duras penas
with great difficulty / barely
Pronunciation: a DÚ-ras PÉ-nas
Meaning
To manage to do something with a lot of effort or just barely.
Example
A duras penas conseguí terminar el informe a tiempo.
I barely managed to finish the report on time.
Common mistakes & tips
- Practice a duras penas out loud — read the pronunciation guide above and repeat.
- Use it in your own sentence today; reuse beats rereading.
- Pay attention to context: this is a advanced-level Spanish expression.