Não Custa Nada: Say ‘It Doesn’t Hurt to Try’ in Portuguese
Não custa nada can refer to no financial cost or mean that an action is easy enough to try. Context decides which sense fits.
Real Life Portuguese · 4 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Não custa nada + infinitive often means “it doesn’t hurt to” or “there is no harm in” doing something. It can also be literal: an action or item costs nothing. Context tells you whether the phrase is about money, effort, or a low-risk suggestion.
Use não custa nada before an action
The verb custa stays singular in the common impersonal pattern. Put the action after it in the infinitive: perguntar (ask), conferir (check), or tentar (try).
Não custa nada perguntar se ainda há vaga.
It doesn’t hurt to ask if there’s still a spot.
Não custa nada conferir o endereço antes de sair.
It doesn’t hurt to check the address before leaving.
A entrada é gratuita; não custa nada.
Admission is free; it costs nothing.
Make a suggestion without turning it into pressure
The expression can make a suggestion sound simple, but repeated use may imply that another person should do it. Add a question or soften the suggestion when you want to leave room for a choice: Que tal perguntar? (How about asking?).
For a real expense, use custar with a price or amount. Não custa nada trying something and não custa nada in a free-entry context are related, but they are not the same message.
Que tal tentar mais uma vez, se você quiser?
How about trying one more time, if you want?
Essa passagem custa cinquenta reais.
That ticket costs fifty reais.
Não custa nada mandar uma mensagem para confirmar.
It doesn’t hurt to send a message to confirm.
Put it into practice
Use não custa nada + infinitive for a low-cost action or a no-harm suggestion; use a price or amount when you mean literal cost.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “How about trying one more time, if you want”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
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