Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| muito | /ˈmũj̃.tu/ (Brazil) /ˈmũj̃.tu/ (Portugal) |
| um monte | /ˈũ ˈmõ.t͡ʃi/ (Brazil, word by word) |
muito is used as an adverb to mean "very much". It can also be used as a pronoun to indicate a large amount or many things. Depending on the noun it modifies, it can change form to indicate gender and number.
What does it mean word for word?
The colloquial expression um monte literally translates to "a pile" or "a heap".
Which one should you use?
While muito is the standard way to say "a lot", bastante is often used to mean "quite a lot" or "sufficiently" depending on the context. For more emphasis, you can use the intensified formal version muitíssimo.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
um monte is a more colloquial and informal way to say "a lot" or "a ton". In informal contexts, you can use the expression pra caramba to intensify muito or the versatile expression pra lá de to emphasize that something has surpassed a significant degree or expectation. For formal settings, bastante is used to mean "quite" or "considerably" and muitíssimo provides a formal intensification of muito.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using muito to modify a noun, it must agree in gender and number. Use muita to modify a feminine noun, and use muitos for masculine plural nouns or muitas for feminine plural nouns to mean "many" or "a lot of".
How do you pronounce it?
muito is pronounced /ˈmũj̃.tu/.
Did you know?
- The Proto-Indo-European root of muito originally meant 'crumbled' or 'crumpled', suggesting that 'a lot' was once envisioned as a mass of broken fragments.
- The expression pra caramba is an informal way to say 'a lot', but it is technically a euphemism for a more vulgar term referring to a specific part of the anatomy.
- The phrase pra lá de literally means 'beyond' or 'to the other side of', using a geographical metaphor to describe an amount that exceeds expectations.
Examples in context
- Eu te devo muito.I owe you a lot.This sentence demonstrates how to express owing someone a lot using muito.Tatoeba #2853110 by MarlonX19, translation #2389601 by CK
- O Tom fuma muito.Tom smokes a lot.This sentence shows how to use muito to describe the frequency of an action.Tatoeba #8073659 by MacGyver, translation #2648667 by CK
- Eu não bebo muito.I don't drink a lot.This sentence illustrates the use of muito in a negative sentence to indicate not doing something much.Tatoeba #3446704 by piterkeo, translation #2722198 by Hybrid
- Estou agradecido muitíssimo pela sua ajuda.I am very grateful for your help.
- O projeto requer bastante atenção aos detalhes.The project requires quite a lot of attention to detail.
- A festa estava legal pra caramba!The party was really awesome!
- A loja estava cheia pra lá de lotada!The store was packed beyond belief!
- 1591 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Beatriz and Lucas are talking in a cafe about work.
- BeatrizVocê trabalha muito?Do you work a lot?
- LucasSim, eu trabalho muito ultimamente.Yes, I work a lot lately.
- BeatrizVocê precisa descansar muito.You need to rest a lot.
- LucasVocê tem razão, Beatriz.You are right, Beatriz.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “a lot” translations and entries muito, um monte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (um, monte) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries monte, muito, um, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
