¡qué suerte!
/ˈke ˈsweɾte/word by word
The English phrase "lucky you!" can be translated into Spanish as ¡qué suerte!
¡qué suerte! is an informal exclamation used to convey "lucky you" and translates to "What luck!" You can also use ¡Qué envidia!, which translates to "What envy!", to express that you are envious of someone's good fortune.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¡qué suerte! is literally translated as "what luck!"
Which one should you use?
While ¡qué suerte! is a general exclamation about a situation, the phrase ¡qué suerte tienes! specifically directs the luck toward the person being spoken to.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the verb tienes (you have) to the phrase, as in ¡qué suerte tienes!, makes the expression more explicit, meaning "how much luck you have!"
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈke ˈsweɾte/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying ¡qué suerte! too often can be seen as tempting fate or bringing bad luck, leading some to use protective gestures instead.
- The word suerte comes from the Latin sortem, which originally referred to drawing lots or casting a pebble to determine a winner.
- The word suerte is also used to mean 'fate' or 'destiny' in a more serious context, moving beyond simple good fortune.
Examples in context
- ¡Escuché que ganaste un viaje a España! ¡Qué afortunado/a eres!I heard you won a trip to Spain! Lucky you!
- ¿Ya te dijeron que obtuviste el trabajo? ¡Qué suerte tienes!Did they tell you that you got the job? Lucky you!
- ¡Compraste el último boleto para el concierto! ¡Qué envidia!You bought the last ticket for the concert! Lucky you!
- ¡Qué suerte!Lucky you!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (qué, suerte) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries qué, suerte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
