Dar Trabalho: Talk About a Difficult or Time-Consuming Task
Dar trabalho can mean to take effort or cause trouble. The subject and context show which meaning fits.
Real Life Portuguese · 4 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Dar trabalho can mean to take effort, be difficult, or create extra work. When a task is the subject, the phrase often describes the effort involved: organizar a mudança dá trabalho (organizing the move takes work).
Use dar trabalho for something that takes effort
The expression can also mean that someone is causing trouble or requiring attention. In that use, tone and relationship matter; it can sound affectionate about a child or critical about a difficult situation.
Revisar o texto inteiro dá bastante trabalho.
Reviewing the whole text takes quite a bit of work.
A mudança deu trabalho, mas terminou no mesmo dia.
The move was a lot of work, but it was finished the same day.
O bebê deu trabalho durante a viagem.
The baby needed a lot of attention during the trip.
Compare dar trabalho with trabalhar
Trabalhar means to work. Dar trabalho focuses on the effort or trouble that something creates for a person. The phrase often uses indirect object pronouns: isso me dá trabalho (that creates work for me) or deu trabalho para a equipe (it took effort for the team).
For a more neutral statement, you can say que tarefa difícil (what a difficult task) or exige muito tempo (it requires a lot of time). Choose a direct description in formal writing.
Esse formulário me dá trabalho porque pede muitos documentos.
This form takes effort because it asks for many documents.
Trabalho de casa às sextas-feiras.
I work from home on Fridays.
A tarefa exige duas horas de revisão.
The task requires two hours of review.
Put it into practice
Use dar trabalho when an action or situation creates effort or extra work; use trabalhar for the activity of working.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “The move was a lot of work, but it was finished the same day”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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