mucho gusto
/mut͡ʃo ɡusto/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "nice to meet you" is expressed as mucho gusto.
The phrase mucho gusto is a polite expression used when meeting someone for the first time. You may also use Es un placer to mean "It's a pleasure."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase mucho gusto literally translates to "much pleasure".
Which one should you use?
You can also use encantado if you are male or encantada if you are female. For a more formal expression meaning "Delighted to meet you," use Encantado/Encantada de conocerlo/conocerla.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the formal "usted" form, you can expand the phrase to Mucho gusto en conocerle.
How do you pronounce it?
/mutʃo ɡusto/
When do people say it?
When someone says mucho gusto to you, the most common way to respond is to say igualmente (likewise). To be more formal or polite in your response, you can say el gusto es mío (the pleasure is mine).
Did you know?
- If you use the phrase encantado, you are not just saying you are happy, but literally saying you are 'enchanted' or 'under a spell' by the meeting.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying mucho gusto is almost always accompanied by a handshake or a light kiss on the cheek, depending on the region and gender.
- While mucho gusto is common, the word gusto originally referred specifically to the sense of taste rather than a feeling of pleasure.
Examples in context
- Yo soy Antonio, mucho gusto.I am Antonio, nice to meet you.This sentence shows how to introduce yourself and use mucho gusto.Tatoeba #7304029 by ProfessorAntonnio, translation #7305207 by Bond21
- Mucho gusto. ¿Cómo está usted?Nice to meet you. How are you doing?This example shows how to use mucho gusto followed by a formal greeting.Tatoeba #1088720 by hayastan, translation #1346288 by marcelostockle
- Mucho gusto.It's nice to meet you.This is a simple use of mucho gusto.Tatoeba #600457 by Leono, translation #64723 by CK
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier meet for the first time at a party.
- SofíaHola, soy Sofía.Hello, I am Sofía.
- JavierHola Sofía, soy Javier. Mucho gusto.Hello Sofía, I am Javier. Nice to meet you.
- SofíaEl gusto es mío, Javier.The pleasure is mine, Javier.
- Javier¿De dónde eres?Where are you from?
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gusto, mucho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
