What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "much pleasure".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, people often say Mucho gusto instead of Encantado/a de conocerlo/a. In Mexico, the phrase gusto en conocerte is widely used. In Spain, the colloquial phrase un placer is common for saying "nice to meet you".
How does it change in a sentence?
Mucho gusto is a standalone elliptical phrase. You can expand it to Mucho gusto en conocerte when speaking informally to someone. To use the expanded version of the phrase formally, you would say Mucho gusto en conocerlo to a man or Mucho gusto en conocerla to a woman.
How do you pronounce it?
/mutʃo ɡusto/
When do people say it?
When someone says Mucho gusto to you, a common and natural response is Igualmente. A more polite or formal way to respond is El gusto es mío.
Did you know?
- The root of mucho traces back to a Proto-Indo-European word meaning 'crumbled' or 'crumpled'. This likely referred to a large number of small pieces.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying Mucho gusto is often accompanied by a handshake or a single kiss on the cheek depending on the gender and relationship of the people.
- While Mucho gusto is a standard greeting, the word gusto can also be used to describe a 'treat' or a guilty pleasure, such as eating a piece of cake.
Examples in context
- Yo soy Antonio, mucho gusto.I am Antonio, nice to meet you.This sentence shows how to introduce yourself followed by Mucho gusto.Tatoeba #7304029 by ProfessorAntonnio, translation #7305207 by Bond21
- Mucho gusto. ¿Cómo está usted?Nice to meet you. How are you doing?This sentence shows how to say Mucho gusto and then ask how someone is doing.Tatoeba #1088720 by hayastan, translation #1346288 by marcelostockle
- Mucho gusto.It's nice to meet you.This sentence is a simple use of Mucho gusto.Tatoeba #600457 by Leono, translation #64723 by CK
- Encantado de conocerlo, señor García. Soy Juan.Nice to meet you, Mr. García. I'm Juan.
- Encantada de conocerla, señora Rodríguez. Me llamo María.Nice to meet you, Mrs. Rodríguez. My name is María.
- Mucho gusto, ¿cómo te llamas?Nice to meet you, what's your name?
- ¡Mucho gusto! Soy Ana, ¿y tú?Nice to meet you! I'm Ana, and you?
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel meet for the first time at a party.
- ElenaHola, soy Elena.Hello, I am Elena.
- DanielMucho gusto, Elena. Soy Daniel.Nice to meet you, Elena. I am Daniel.
- ElenaEl gusto es mío.The pleasure is mine.
- Daniel¿Eres nueva en la ciudad?Are you new in the city?
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.
