deséame suerte
/deseame sweɾte/from spelling rules
The English phrase "wish me luck" is translated into Spanish as deséame suerte.
You use this phrase to request that someone expresses their hope for your success in a future task.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the imperative verb desea (wish), the indirect object pronoun me (to me) and the noun suerte (luck).
Which one should you use?
While English speakers often use "wish me luck" as a standalone sentence, it is common in Spanish to add por favor (please) to make the request sound less like a command.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form deséame suerte uses the informal tú imperative. If you are speaking to someone formally, you should use deséeme suerte, which is the version used when addressing someone as usted.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, instead of asking for luck, people might say ¡Mucha mierda! to wish someone success, especially before a theatrical performance.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking for luck is sometimes accompanied by the gesture of crossing fingers, but the common local equivalent is to touch wood, or tocar madera.
- The word suerte is a cognate of the English word 'sort', as both originally referred to a lot or a piece of something drawn by chance.
Examples in context
- Deséame suerte por favor.Please wish me luck.This sentence is useful for practicing how to add a polite request using deséame suerte.Tatoeba #356805 by tatoerique, translation #65447 by CK
- Deséame suerte, la necesitaré.Wish me luck, I will need it.This sentence is useful for showing the necessity of luck using deséame suerte.Tatoeba #2090895 by labatteg, translation #2090900 by labatteg
- Hoy tengo una entrevista de trabajo, que me vaya bien.I have a job interview today, may things go well for me.
- Voy a presentar mi solicitud de beca, cruza los dedos por mí.I'm going to submit my scholarship application, cross your fingers for me.
- Deséame suerte en mi entrevista de trabajo.Wish me luck in my job interview.
Example conversation
Alejandro is about to take a difficult test.
- AlejandroYa me voy, deséame suerte.I'm leaving now, wish me luck.
- Elena¡Mucha suerte, Alejandro!Good luck, Alejandro!
- AlejandroGracias, Elena. Lo intentaré.Thanks, Elena. I'll try my best.
- ElenaSeguro que te irá muy bien.I'm sure you'll do great.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
