todo lo mejor
/todo lo mexoɾ/from spelling rules
To say all the best in Spanish, use todo lo mejor.
todo lo mejor wishes someone good luck and success. It is usually part of a full sentence such as Le deseo todo lo mejor, I wish you all the best.
Meaning: good luck (intj)
Which one should you use?
With friends, ¡Te deseo lo mejor! or Espero que te vaya genial. sound natural. ¡Que te vaya super bien! and ¡Muchos éxitos! add affection or enthusiasm. Le envío mis mejores deseos. means I send you my best wishes.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Que todo lo bueno te acompañe, may all that is good be with you, is used in some Latin American countries and in formal contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
todo lo mejor is pronounced /todo lo mexoɾ/. The j of mejor is a breathy sound made at the back of the mouth.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often say todo el mejor with the masculine article. Use the neuter article lo instead: todo lo mejor.
Did you know?
- If you are wishing luck to an actor or a musician before they go on stage, avoid saying todo lo mejor and instead say mucha mierda. While it literally translates to 'much shit', it is the traditional way to wish a performer 'break a leg'.
- The word mejor shares a distant ancestor with the English word 'ameliorate', which means to make something better.
- In Spain, you might hear people use lo mejor to mean 'the best part' of an event rather than as a formal wish. For example, saying lo mejor fue la comida is a common way to say 'the best bit was the food'.
Examples in context
- Te deseo todo lo mejor en tu viaje.I wish you all the best on your trip.
Example conversation
Sofía is leaving for a new job and Daniel is seeing her off.
- Daniel¡Felicidades por el nuevo empleo, Sofía!Congratulations on the new job, Sofía!
- SofíaMuchas gracias, Daniel.Thank you very much, Daniel.
- DanielTe deseo todo lo mejor en esta etapa.I wish you all the best in this stage.
- SofíaEres muy amable, gracias.You are very kind, thank you.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lo, mejor, todo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
