How to Say Good Luck in Spanish: ¡Buena Suerte! and More

Grover Laughton4 min
Created: Oct 7, 2024Last updated: Dec 19, 2024
Good Luck in Spanish

The best way to come across a nice person is by showing your kindness and support. By learning to say good luck in Spanish, you can strengthen your language skills and explore the Hispanic culture through a vocabulary of essential words and phrases. In this article, you’ll study the many ways you can wish good fortune in Spanish. Let’s learn common expressions to support your friends, family, and relatives.

Mastering “Good Luck” in Spanish: A Comprehensive Guide

Once you learn Spanish expressions for wishing someone good luck, you’ll be able to use beautiful Spanish words that convey warmth and love. Add depth to your interactions with friends and dearest ones by learning basic ways of sending someone positive vibes for success. In this section, you’ll find the necessary phrases, their transcription, and pronunciation tips.

Common Phrases to Say “Good Luck” in Spanish

Hispanics are very courteous and welcoming. Being close to others creates a feeling of connection, which helps lessen tensions and permits individuals to ask about someone’s well-being with genuine interest. This is also manifested in Spanish vocabulary, which is full of words for encouragement and endearment.

There are countless expressions related to being lucky in Spanish. In most cases, you’ll use commonly heard ones that are universal in many situations:

  • ¡Buena suerte! – [ˈbwena ˈsweɾte] [BWEH-nah SWER-teh] – Good luck! (used in both formal and informal situations).
  • ¡Mucha suerte! – [ˈmutʃa ˈsweɾte] [MOO-chah SWER-teh] – Lots of luck!/Best of luck! (expresses hope that things go well for them in a specific situation).
  • ¡Éxito! – [ˈeksito] [EK-see-toh] – Success! (relates to winning, triumph, and prosperity in life-changing situations).

If you want to upgrade your language skills, you may use advanced phrases. One of them is ¡Cruzaré mis dedos por ti! [kɾusaˈɾe mis ˈdeðos poɾ ˈti] [croo-zah-reh mees- deh-dohs pore tee], translating as “I’ll cross my fingers for you!” You may also say, ¡Que la suerte esté de tu lado! [ˈke la ˈsweɾte esˈte ðe tu ˈlaðo] [keh la soo-air-teh ehs-teh deh too lah-doe] for “I hope luck is on your side!”

Regional Variations: Saying Good Luck in Spanish Across Spanish-Speaking Countries

Spanish-speaking countries have tremendous diversity across each place, manifested in culture, traditions, and, of course, language. That’s where things get interesting. How to say good luck in Spanish in separate regions? To ensure Hispanic people from different countries understand you when wishing them luck, learn specific phrases commonly used in those nations.

In Spain, for instance, ¡Mucha mierda! [ˈmut͡ʃa ˈmjɛɾða] [MOO-cha MYER-da] is a casual way of saying good luck, especially before a big event like a performance. This comes from the old theater days when lots of horse manure outside meant a big crowd had shown up, which was a good sign. Basically, it’s equivalent to the English phrase “Break a leg!” 

On the flip side, in Puerto Rico, you’ll say, ¡Dale duro! [ˈdale ˈðuɾo] [DAH-leh DOO-ro], translating as “Go all out!” or “Give it everything you’ve got!” This variant is suitable when you want to hype someone up, usually in sports or when facing a tough challenge.

Formal vs. Informal: Choosing the Right Phrases to Send Best Wishes in Spanish

When sending positive vibes in Spanish, you need to use different vocabulary depending on the setting. In more official situations, like with coworkers or someone you want to show respect to, you should say, Le deseo mucho éxito [le deˈse.o ˈmut͡ʃo ˈeksito] [leh deh-SEH-oh MOO-cho EK-see-toh], which translates as “I wish you lots of success.” 

In addition, you may use a neutral phrase for wishing best regards in Spanish. Que tenga un buen día [ke ˈteŋga un bwen ˈdi.a] [keh TEN-ga oon bwen DEE-ah] means “Have a nice day.” These options will help you come off as polite and professional.

You can keep it casual with another way to say good luck when it’s a friend or family member. ¡Que te vaya bien! [ke te ˈβaʝa ˈβjen] [keh teh VAH-yah byen] translates as “Hope everything goes well!” For a bit of fun, you can even say, ¡Échale ganas! [ˈet͡ʃale ˈɣanas] [EH-cha-leh GAH-nas] “Give it your all!”

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Conclusion

How do you say good luck in Spanish? With basic Spanish vocabulary up your sleeves, you’ll be able to wish Hispanics fortune in informal and formal conversations. Pick your favorite variants and start using them today!

FAQ

What are advanced ways of wishing good luck in Spanish?

Once you’ve finished a beginner course learning basic vocabulary, you can proceed with advanced phrases to say good luck. One of the commonly used sayings is ¡Que te salga todo bien!, which translates as “May everything go well!” For more encouragement, use ¡Que tengas mucha suerte!, which translates as “May you have lots of luck!” or ¡Te deseo lo mejor!, which means “I wish you the best!”

What are good luck phrases for special occasions in Spanish?

If you’re invited to a party or special occasion and want to wish someone, you can use corresponding Spanish phrases. Say the following collocation to congratulate one on landing a new job: ¡Mucha suerte en tu nuevo trabajo! literally meaning, “Good luck with your new job!” For weddings, it’ll be great to tell a newly married couple ¡Que sean súper felices!, which means “Hope you’re really happy!”

What is considered to bring good luck in Spain?

Every New Year’s Eve, people of all ages try to eat twelve green grapes, one for each chime of the clock as it counts down to midnight. Tradition says you’ll have a prosperous year if you can eat all of them in sync with the midnight chimes. In addition, the Indalo, a good luck symbol in Almería, Spain, is said only to bring fortune if gifted to you.

How to respond to good luck wishes in Spanish?

There are several ways to show gratitude for encouragement and support in Spanish. One of the common options is a simple ¡Gracias! for “Thank you!” or ¡Muchas gracias! for “Thank you very much!” You could also reply with the same kindness by saying Igualmente, meaning “Same to you,” or Te lo agradezco, translating as “I appreciate it.” If you want to add more enthusiasm, try ¡Ojalá!, which means “Hopefully!”

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