12 Ways To Say Good Luck in Spanish (Buena Suerte) With Examples
You had some success, you made a toast, and now it’s time to say good luck in Spanish.
Spring Spanish (that’s a project I co-founded) made a great video on saying good luck in Spanish, or more precisely, how to say buena suerte in other words and expressions.
This blog post will go even further in this topic, so we’ll see how you could use 12 different expressions to say good luck in Spanish. We even have Spanish conversations where we use these expressions in context.
Spanish phrases for general use cases: ¡Buena suerte
All of the next Spanish phrases fit into different scenarios. These expressions for good luck in Spanish can be used when you’re talking to a friend, a family member or a colleague.
They are simple and easy to use.
1. Buena suerte (Good luck)
You’d use this classic expression in almost any situation where someone needs a bit of encouragement.
It’s perfect for wishing luck to a friend before an exam or a coworker before a big presentation:
“María: Tengo una entrevista de trabajo mañana.” (I have a job interview tomorrow.)
“Carlos: ¡Buena suerte! Estoy seguro de que lo harás genial.” (Good luck! I’m sure you’ll do great.)
2. Mucha suerte (A lot of luck)
This phrase adds a bit of a highlight to the well-wishing.
It’s good when someone’s facing a particularly challenging task or when you want to show extra support.
Let’s imagine this situation:
“Juan: Voy a correr mi primera maratón este fin de semana.” (I’m running my first marathon this weekend.)
“Ana: ¡Mucha suerte! Has entrenado duro, lo lograrás.” (A lot of luck! You’ve trained hard, you’ll make it.)
3. Suerte (Luck)
A quick and casual way to wish someone luck.
It works well for everyday situations or when you’re in a hurry but still want to show support.
Wish you had luck when buying a lottery ticket:
“Pedro: Me voy a la lotería, deséame suerte.” (I’m going to buy a lottery ticket, wish me luck.)
“Laura: ¡Suerte! Ojalá te ganes el premio gordo.” (Luck! I hope you win the jackpot.)
4. Toda la suerte del mundo (All the luck in the world)
This expression is perfect for big life events or major challenges.
It really expresses that you’re really rooting for the person and want them to have all the luck possible.
What about defending a doctoral thesis? Here’s how it could go down:
“Elena: Mañana defiendo mi tesis doctoral.” (Tomorrow I’m defending my doctoral thesis.)
“Roberto: ¡Toda la suerte del mundo! Has trabajado muy duro para esto.” (All the luck in the world! You’ve worked very hard for this.)
5. Suerte y éxito (Luck and success)
Combine luck and success in one phrase.
It’s perfect for situations where both luck and skill play a role, like job interviews or business ventures.
Launching a new business? Here’s how you could do it:
“Sofía: Lanzo mi nuevo negocio la próxima semana.” (I’m launching my new business next week.)
“Diego: ¡Suerte y éxito! Tu idea es brillante, seguro que triunfarás.” (Luck and success! Your idea is brilliant, you’ll surely triumph.)
Say good luck in Spanish in friendly situations
These expressions are perfect for informal settings with friends and family.
They’re supportive, and show that you truly care about the person or their well-being or success in their life.
6. Que te vaya bien (I hope it goes well for you)
Use this friendly phrase when someone’s heading off to do something.
It’s a warm way to say you hope things go well for them.
An example would be:
“Lucía: Me voy a clase, nos vemos luego.” (I’m going to class, see you later.)
“Marta: ¡Que te vaya bien! Disfruta de la lección.” (I hope it goes well for you! Enjoy the lesson.)
7. Que todo salga bien (I hope everything goes well)
This expression is perfect for showing support when someone’s facing a challenging situation.
It’s a way of hoping for a positive outcome in all aspects.
This is how you could wish good luck in Spanish to someone:
“Antonio: Tengo una cirugía menor mañana.” (I have minor surgery tomorrow.)
“Isabel: ¡Que todo salga bien! Estaré pensando en ti.” (I hope everything goes well! I’ll be thinking of you.)
8. Suerte en tu camino (Luck on your journey)
Use this phrase when someone’s starting a new phase in life.
It’s great for the big transitions in life, like moving to a new city or starting a new career.
Look for this expression in this Spanish conversation:
“Carmen: Me mudo a otro país para estudiar un máster.” (I’m moving to another country to study a master’s degree.)
“Javier: ¡Suerte en tu camino! Será una gran aventura.” (Luck on your journey! It will be a great adventure.)
Wish good luck in Spanish in formal situations
What about professional and formal situations?
Sometimes, you have to wish good luck in Spanish to your boss, or to your colleague. Here’s how you can do it!
9. Éxito (Success)
This short wish for success is perfect in professional settings
Use it when you want to wish someone well in a business Spanish challenge or career move.
Like this, for example:
“Sr. Rodríguez: Presento nuestro nuevo producto a los inversores hoy.” (Mr. Rodriguez: I’m presenting our new product to investors today.)
“Sra. López: ¡Éxito! Confío en que la presentación será un triunfo.” (Mrs. Lopez: Success! I trust the presentation will be a triumph.)
10. Que tengas éxito (I hope you have success)
A more formal way to wish success, good for formal situations or when you want to show extra support in a professional context.
An imaginary situation could look like this:
“Dr. Martínez: Voy a publicar mi investigación en una revista científica.” (Dr. Martinez: I’m going to publish my research in a scientific journal.)
“Dra. Sánchez: ¡Que tengas éxito! Tu trabajo es innovador y merece reconocimiento.” (Dr. Sanchez: I hope you have success! Your work is innovative and deserves recognition.)
11. Que tengas buena fortuna (I hope you have good fortune)
This formal expression is great for wishing someone good fortune in their work environment.
It’s good for business contexts or formal social situations.
What about signing a new contract?
“Sr. Gómez: Firmo un contrato importante con un nuevo cliente mañana.” (Mr. Gomez: I’m signing an important contract with a new client tomorrow.)
“Sra. Pérez: ¡Que tengas buena fortuna! Espero que sea el inicio de una gran colaboración.” (Mrs. Perez: I hope you have good fortune! I hope it’s the beginning of a great collaboration.)
Best wishes in Spanish in cultural and religious context
This expression adds a more spiritual dimension to your well-wishes.
It’s less common in everyday speech but can be powerful in the right context. Maybe you can hear this in the best Spanish tv shows on Netflix in some dramatic scenes.
12. Que los dioses te acompañen (May the gods be with you)
Use it in contexts where looking for a higher power is appropriate or when you want to add a touch of religion to your support.
You can’t imagine it? Here’s how it could go down:
“Miguel: Parto en una expedición de investigación a la selva amazónica.” (Miguel: I’m leaving on a research expedition to the Amazon rainforest.)
“Alejandra: ¡Que los dioses te acompañen! Espero que tu viaje sea seguro y fructífero.” (Alejandra: May the gods be with you! I hope your journey is safe and fruitful.)
Practice worksheet for saying good luck in Spanish
What better way to practice these phrases than with a flashcard set?
Of course, if you want, you can practice more!
Learn common Spanish expressions and phrases with Conversation Based Chunking
We think that the best way to learn these phrases and expressions for good luck in Spanish is if you use Conversation Based Chunking as a learning method.
The approach focuses on lexical chunks – the natural building blocks of the language. You used these chunks for your mother tongue, so you can use it for your Spanish language learning journey, too.
If you click this button below, you’ll have the chance to learn more about this method, and we’ll send you a free Spanish Chunking List, practice exercises and other resources to learn Spanish.
Good luck… or as you’ve learned it today: Buena suerte!
