A duras penas

with great difficulty; **with great difficulty**; **barely**; **only just**; **by the skin of one's teeth**; **with much effort**

A duras penas means with great difficulty, barely, only just, by the skin of one's teeth, or with much effort.

It emphasises that success was achieved, but only after overcoming significant obstacles.

• barely passes an exam
• manages to arrive on time
• survives a difficult situation
• earns enough money to get by
• completes a task despite great difficulties

The expression comes from the noun pena, which traditionally means hardship, difficulty, suffering or trouble.

The adjective duras reinforces the intensity of those hardships.

Originally, the phrase emphasised the severe difficulties surrounding an action, and over time it came to mean that something was accomplished only with great effort.

Unlike expressions referring to bad luck, a duras penas focuses on difficulty, not fortune.

Someone may succeed a duras penas through persistence and determination rather than because circumstances improve.

For this reason, the idiom often conveys admiration for the effort involved.

Spanish has several expressions meaning "barely" or "with difficulty":

• A duras penas → with great difficulty.
• Por los pelos → by the skin of one's teeth.
• De milagro → by a miracle.
• In extremis → at the very last moment.

Among them, a duras penas is the broadest, as it can describe physical effort, financial hardship, academic success, survival or any situation achieved only after considerable struggle.

Do not translate the expression literally.

English speakers would never say:

With hard hardships...

Instead, use expressions such as:

• with great difficulty
• barely
• only just
• by the skin of one's teeth
• with much effort

Choose the translation according to whether the emphasis is on the difficulty, the narrow success or the effort.