Does a tongue piercing hurt a lot?

Of course: The tongue piercing typically takes between 6 -8 weeks to heal and your pain should decrease over that time period. A cautionary note -- please be aware that often people with pierced tongue are much more prone to chipping their teeth. So budget for future dentistry.

Possible neuralgia: Beyond the normal pain anticipated with this procedure, there is the possibility of the piercing hitting a nerve and effecting tongue function. Cases of neuralgia have also been reported. This is severe pain which becomes chronic.