Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| buena suerte | /ˌbwena ˈsweɾte/ |
| suerte | /ˈsweɾte/ |
| mucha suerte | /mut͡ʃa sweɾte/ (from spelling rules) |
Spanish speakers use these phrases to wish fortune on someone or as encouragement. You can use the full phrase buena suerte or the shorter suerte. To add emphasis and say 'lots of luck' or 'best of luck', 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 complete phrase for 'good luck', it is very common in Spanish to drop the adjective and simply say suerte to mean the same thing. Use mucha suerte when you want to emphasize the wish by saying 'lots of luck'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, buena suerte is a common and straightforward way to say good luck.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word suerte is a feminine noun, which is why the adjective buena ends in -a. You can also expand the phrase into a full sentence using the subjunctive mood, such as in ¡Que tengas mucha suerte!, which means 'May you have much luck!'
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwena ˈsweɾte/
Did you know?
- In Spanish theater and performance circles, saying buena suerte is often avoided because it is considered a jinx. Instead, artists use the phrase mucha mierda, which literally means 'lots of excrement'.
- Spanish has a specific term, salado, which literally means 'salted' but is used to describe someone who has the opposite of buena suerte. Calling someone salado means they are chronically unlucky.
- The theatrical use of mucha mierda dates back to the era of horse-drawn carriages. A large amount of horse manure outside a theater meant that many wealthy people had arrived for the show.
Examples in context
- Suerte con eso, Tom.Good luck with that, Tom.This sentence shows how to use suerte to wish someone luck with a specific thing.Tatoeba #5718657 by arh, translation #5716762 by CK
- ¡Suerte en el examen!Good luck on the exam!This sentence uses suerte to wish someone luck on an exam.Tatoeba #590640 by Leono, translation #409429 by FeuDRenais
- Te deseo buena suerte.I wish you good luck.This sentence uses buena suerte to express a wish for someone.Tatoeba #972469 by Shishir, translation #54468 by CK
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía is leaving for a job interview.
- Javier¡Buena suerte en la entrevista, Lucía!Good luck at the interview, Lucía!
- LucíaMuchas gracias, Javier.Thank you very much, Javier.
- JavierTú puedes hacerlo.You can do it.
- LucíaEspero que sí.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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
