por suerte
/poɾ ˈsweɾte/
The English phrase 'luckily' can be translated into Spanish as por suerte. Wiktionary also lists afortunadamente and por fortuna.
Meaning: in a lucky manner (adv)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| por suerte | /poɾ ˈsweɾte/ |
| afortunadamente | /afoɾtuˌnadaˈmente/ |
| por fortuna | /poɾ foɾˈtuna/ |
| dichosamente | /diˌt͡ʃosaˈmente/ |
| menos mal | /ˌmenos ˈmal/ |
These terms are used to express that something happened in a lucky manner. While most forms mean 'luckily', the phrase menos mal is used specifically to express relief that something bad did not happen, functioning like 'thank goodness' or 'it's a good thing'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase por suerte is literally composed of the preposition por (by/through) and the noun suerte (luck).
Which one should you use?
Afortunadamente, por suerte, por fortuna and dichosamente are all used to mean 'luckily'. In contrast, menos mal is an informal phrase meaning 'less bad' or 'thank goodness'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Afortunadamente is a more formal and literary adverb than the common phrase por suerte. Menos mal is considered informal.
How do you pronounce it?
/poɾ ˈsweɾte/
Did you know?
- The suffix -mente in afortunadamente and dichosamente is derived from the Latin word mente, meaning 'mind'.
- In Spanish, the word fortuna can refer to luck, but it is also the primary word for 'wealth' or 'a large sum of money'.
- While suerte means 'luck', in some Spanish-speaking regions it is also used to mean 'fate' or 'destiny', regardless of whether the outcome is positive or negative.
Examples in context
- Por suerte no murió.Luckily she did not die.Tatoeba #9667514 by Shishir, translation #240801 by Hautis
- Por fortuna Mary no fuma.Luckily, Mary doesn't smoke.Tatoeba #7905224 by Seael, translation #10836766 by Lebensfreude
- Por fortuna no murió nadie.Luckily nobody died.Tatoeba #3480737 by gianich73, translation #3327617 by CK
- Afortunadamente, encontré mi billeteraLuckily, I found my wallet
- Por suerte, logramos llegar a tiempoLuckily, we managed to arrive on time
- Gracias a Dios, no hubo heridosLuckily, there were no injuries
- ¡Menos mal que llegaste a tiempo!Luckily, you arrived on time!
- De pura casualidad, nos encontramos en el mercadoLuckily, we ran into each other at the market
- Por suerte, estaban en el bolsilloLuckily, they were in the pocket
- Afortunadamente, llegó a tiempoLuckily, it arrived on time
- Por suerte, todo salió bien. Estamos contentos y agradecidosLuckily, everything went well. We are happy and grateful
- Afortunadamente, conseguí el trabajo. ¡Estoy emocionado!Luckily, I got the job. I am excited!
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are talking about a lost set of keys.
- DanielPerdí mis llaves en el parque.I lost my keys in the park.
- MaríaPor suerte, alguien las encontró.Luckily, someone found them.
- Daniel¡Qué alivio! Muchas gracias, María.What a relief! Thank you very much, María.
- MaríaDe nada, Daniel.You're welcome, Daniel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “luckily” translations and entries por suerte, afortunadamente, por fortuna, dichosamente, menos mal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries afortunadamente, dichosamente, fortuna, por, suerte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
