Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| demasiado | /demaˈsjado/ |
| en demasía | /en demaˈsia/ |
| demasiadamente | /demaˌsjadaˈmente/ |
| más de la cuenta | /ˌmas de la ˈkwenta/ |
The phrase is used to indicate that something is excessive. Depending on the context, you can use the common demasiado, the idiomatic más de la cuenta to suggest something is being done more than one should or more than one's fair share or the colloquial expression una barbaridad to convey the idea of something being excessive.
Which one should you use?
While demasiado is the most common way to say "too much", demasiadamente is a more formal adverb meaning "excessively". Additionally, en demasía is a formal or literary way to express the concept of "in excess".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal contexts, you can use en demasía to mean "in excess" or the terms excesivo/a and sobrado/a to convey that something is excessive. In informal settings, the phrase un montón can be used to mean "a lot" or "too much". In colloquial speech, una barbaridad is used to express that something is excessive.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using demasiado as an adverb to modify a verb or an adjective, it remains in its masculine singular form: demasiado. However, when it is used as an adjective modifying a noun, it must agree in gender and number with that noun (e.g., demasiado, demasiada, demasiados or demasiadas).
How do you pronounce it?
/demaˈsjado/
Did you know?
- The phrase una barbaridad is used colloquially to mean 'too much', but it literally translates to 'a barbarity'.
- The formal adverb demasiadamente is built from demasiado and the suffix -mente, which shares a root with the Latin word for 'mind'.
- While demasiado means 'too much', the Spanish word sobrado carries the extra nuance of having 'more than enough' or being 'overqualified'.
Examples in context
- Creo que bebí demasiado.I think that I drank too much.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of demasiado as an adverb after a verb.Tatoeba #646762 by Shishir, translation #646558 by CM
- Hablas demasiado de Tom.You talk about Tom too much.Tatoeba #5567228 by swyter, translation #3170961 by CK
- No bebas demasiado café.Don't drink too much coffee.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of demasiado as an adjective modifying a noun.Tatoeba #6817894 by arh, translation #6817223 by CK
- Hay demasiado tráfico en esta ciudadThere is too much traffic in this city
- El precio de este producto es excesivoThe price of this product is excessive
- Comí un montón de heladoI ate a ton of ice cream
- Tuvimos que esperar una barbaridad para entrar a la sala de cineWe had to wait forever to get into the movie theater
- 318 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are talking about a movie they just watched.
- LucíaLa película me gustó, pero era demasiado larga.I liked the movie, but it was too long.
- MateoTienes razón, Mateo piensa que fue demasiado.You're right, Mateo thinks it was too much.
- LucíaSí, el final fue demasiado dramático.Yes, the ending was too dramatic.
- MateoEstoy de acuerdo contigo, Lucía.I agree with you, Lucía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “too much” translations and entries demasiado, en demasía, demasiadamente, más de la cuenta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuenta, de, demasiadamente, demasiado, demasía, en, la, más, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
