Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| buena suerte | /ˌbwena ˈsweɾte/ |
| suerte | /ˈsweɾte/ |
| mucha suerte | /mut͡ʃa sweɾte/ (from spelling rules) |
The phrase is used to wish fortune on someone or to provide encouragement. You can use the full phrase buena suerte or simply say suerte in casual conversation to mean the same thing. To wish someone a great deal of luck, similar to saying "best of luck", you can use mucha suerte.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase buena suerte is composed of the adjective buena (good) and the noun suerte (luck).
Which one should you use?
While buena suerte is the standard way to say "good luck", suerte is a common shorthand used in casual settings. If you want to emphasize the amount of luck being wished, use mucha suerte to mean "lots of luck".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain Latin American countries, you might hear the word ¡Éxito! used more frequently than in Spain.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word suerte is a feminine noun, which is why the adjective used with it, buena, ends in -a.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwena ˈsweɾte/
When do people say it?
When you want to express a wish that things go well for someone, you can say Que le vaya bien, which translates to "May things go well for you".
Did you know?
- While buena suerte is common, performers in Spanish-speaking cultures often avoid it and instead say mucha mierda, which literally means 'lots of excrement'.
- The word suerte is an ancient relative of the English word 'sort', which originally referred to things that were distributed or assigned by lot.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, wishing someone buena suerte before a performance might be avoided, as some believe it can actually bring bad luck.
Examples in context
- Suerte con eso, Tom.Good luck with that, Tom.This sentence shows how to use suerte to wish luck with a specific task.Tatoeba #5718657 by arh, translation #5716762 by CK
- ¡Suerte en el examen!Good luck on the exam!This sentence demonstrates using suerte to wish luck on an exam.Tatoeba #590640 by Leono, translation #409429 by FeuDRenais
- Te deseo buena suerte.I wish you good luck.This sentence shows how to use buena suerte to express a wish for someone's luck.Tatoeba #972469 by Shishir, translation #54468 by CK
- Que tenga buena suerte en su entrevista de trabajo.Good luck on your job interview.
- Le deseo buena suerte en su nuevo proyecto.I wish you good luck on your new project.
- Que le vaya bien en su viaje.May your trip go well.
- ¡Mucha suerte en tu examen!Good luck on your exam!
- ¡Éxito en tu nueva aventura!Success in your new adventure!
- ¡Buena suerte y que todos tus sueños se hagan realidad!Good luck and may all your dreams come true!
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are at a cafe before Lucía goes to a job interview.
- Daniel¡Buena suerte en la entrevista, Lucía!Good luck with the interview, Lucía!
- LucíaMuchas gracias, Daniel.Thank you very much, Daniel.
- DanielTú puedes con esto.You can do this.
- LucíaEspero que así sea.I hope so.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good luck” translations and entries buena suerte, suerte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries buena suerte, suerte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
