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Is the word custar the same in Brazilian and European Portuguese?

No

While the fundamental meaning of "custar" remains the same in both varieties (to cost a certain amount of money or to be difficult/arduous), there are significant differences in grammar (syntax) and typical usage.

  1. Pronoun Placement (Syntax): In Brazil, it is much more natural to use proclisis (placing the object pronoun before the verb), such as "me custa." In Portugal, the standard is enclisis (placing the pronoun after the verb), such as "custa-me."
  2. Prepositional Usage: When using "custar" to express difficulty, Brazilians often use the preposition "para" (e.g., "custou para ele"), whereas a Portuguese person is more likely to use the pronoun directly with the verb (e.g., "custou-lhe") or the construction "a" (e.g., "custou a fazer").
  3. Vocabulary Context: While not a change to the word "custar" itself, the objects being "costed" often involve different words (e.g., "celular" in Brazil vs. "telemóvel" in Portugal).

Brazilian Portuguese Examples

  1. Quanto custa esse celular? (How much does this cell phone cost?)
  2. Me custa muito entender o que ele diz. (It is very hard for me to understand what he says.)
  3. Esse relógio vai me custar uma fortuna. (This watch is going to cost me a fortune.)
  4. Custou muito para ele terminar o projeto. (It was very hard for him to finish the project.)
  5. Não me custa nada te ajudar com isso. (It costs me nothing to help you with this.)

Portuguese (Continental) Examples

  1. Quanto custa este telemóvel? (How much does this mobile phone cost?)
  2. Custa-me muito entender o que ele diz. (It is very hard for me to understand what he says.)
  3. Este relógio vai custar-me uma fortuna. (This watch is going to cost me a fortune.)
  4. Custou-lhe muito terminar o projeto. (It was very hard for him to finish the project.)
  5. Não me custa nada ajudar-te com isso. (It costs me nothing to help you with this.)