15 ways to say “good luck” in Spanish and support your friends - Lingoda (2024)

Did you know that there are more than 15 ways to say “good luck” in Spanish? But why so many different ways?

Remember, there are 21 Spanish-speaking countries in the world. Each country has its own regional vocabulary and slang. That includes all the ways of wishing people well.

Even if you aren’t superstitious, saying “good luck” is a nice way to show support to your family and friends. You don’t have to know every possible phrase. Learning the most common Spanish expressions for good luck will do the trick. Let’s look at five ways to say “good luck” in Spanish.

• How do you say “good luck” in Spanish?
• 5 Expressions to say “good luck” in Spanish
• “Good luck” in Spanish slang

How do you say “good luck” in Spanish?

If you’re learning Spanish, these expressions will come in handy. Here are some of the most used phrases to say “good luck” in Spanish.

5 Expressions to say good luck in Spanish

Have you heard the song Lucky/Suerte by Jason Mraz? It features Mexican singer-songwriter Ximena Sariñana Rivera on the Spanish-language chorus. The lyrics talk about good luck situations in Spanish. Here are the top five most common ways to wish buena suerte or “good luck” in Spanish.

1. ¡Suerte! (Luck!)

This is your everyday, basic phrase of saying “good luck.” You can use it in any Spanish-speaking country in both formal and informal situations. It covers pretty much everything. Going on vacation? – ¡Suerte! Taking a test? – ¡Suerte!

• Me voy a Argentina a estudiar español. (I’m going to Argentina to study Spanish.)
• ¡Suerte, Sam! (Good luck, Sam!)

2. ¡La mejor de las suertes! (Best of luck!)

This literally means “I wish you the best of luck.” It is a standard Spanish expression but also the longest one.

• ¡La mejor de las suertes en tu nuevo trabajo, Dani! (Best of luck in your new job, Dani!)

3. ¡Éxito! (Success!)

This way of saying “best of luck” directly translates to wishing success for the other person. Bear in mind, éxito has a strong connotation related to winning, triumph and prosperity. Use it when wishing luck for an important life situation.

• ¡Éxito en tu nuevo puesto! (Best of luck in your new job position!)

4. ¡Que te vaya bien! (Good luck!)

If you’re looking for a casual expression to say good luck, this one is fairly popular in conversational Spanish. This phrase can also be used as a casual way to say “have a good day.” To specify good luck, make sure the context is clear by saying what you are wishing them luck in.

• ¡Que te vaya bien en tu reunión, mi amor! (Good luck in your meeting, my love!)
• ¿Ya te vas? ¡Que te vaya bien! (Are you leaving? Bye! Have a good day!)

5. ¡Cruzaré los dedos por ti! (Fingers crossed for you!)

This expression is very common in Spanish, especially with close friends and family. In order to use this expression properly, you must conjugate the verb cruzar.

• Cruzaré los dedos para que no pierdas el vuelo. (I will cross my fingers so you won’t miss your flight.)

“Good luck” in Spanish slang

Want to say good luck in Spanish using local idioms or expressions? Slang is the answer. These are a few of our favorites.

Spain

The phrase ¡Mucha mierda! literally translates to “lots of crap.” It’s roughly the equivalent of “break a leg” in English. Still not clear? Here’s an example:

• Hoy es el concurso de fotografía. (Today is my photography competition.)
• ¡Mucha mierda! (Break a leg!)

México

A Mexican Spanish speaker will most likely say hacer changuitos instead of ‘cruzar los dedos’ for the expression “fingers crossed.” Although both phrases mean the same action, this is the phrase used widely in Mexico.

• Mañana es mi prueba de manejo, ¡hagan changuitos! (Tomorrow is my driving test. Cross your (plural) fingers!)

Puerto Rico

¡Dale duro! (Hit it hard!) is what you might hear from a Puerto Rican when wishing you good luck. This expression is a combination of “good luck” and “do your very best”.

• Voy a abrir un nuevo restaurante. (I’m going to open a new restaurant.)
• ¡Dale duro! Vas a ser muy exitoso. (Good luck! You’ll be very successful.)

Saying your well wishes in Spanish

Now you know how to say “good luck” in Spanish. Which way are you going to try first? You can choose from common and standard phrases to the more colorful slang versions. Add them to your vocabulary and start practicing. ¡Suerte!

Alison Maciejewski Cortez

Alison Maciejewski Cortez is Chilean-American, born and raised in California. She studied abroad in Spain, has lived in multiple countries, and now calls Mexico home. She believes that learning how to order a beer in a new language reveals a lot about local culture. Alison speaks English, Spanish, and Thai fluently and studies Czech and Turkish. Her tech copywriting business takes her around the world and she is excited to share language tips as part of the Lingoda team. Follow her culinary and cultural experiences on X.