How to Use 'Mucho' Correctly in Spanish Sentences

Word for 'Much' Conveys Greatness in Extent or Number

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By
Gerald Erichsen
Gerald Erichsen
Spanish Language Expert
  • B.A., Seattle Pacific University
Gerald Erichsen is a Spanish language expert who has created Spanish lessons for ThoughtCo since 1998.
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Updated on February 02, 2019

Like its English cognate, or related word linguistically, "much," the Spanish word mucho conveys the idea of something being great in quantity or degree. Like English,  mucho can be used as an adverb, adjective or pronoun.

Mucho As an Adverb

As an adverb, mucho is frequently translated as "much" or "a lot." Unlike when it is used as adjective and pronoun, the word mucho does not change with gender or number. It can change when it used as an adverb before adjectives or other adverbs to mean "very," in that case, the word mucho is shortened to muy.

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However, mucho is used when it stands alone to mean "very," as in answering a question: ¿Estás cansada? Sí, mucho, which means, "Are you tired?" "Yes, very."

Spanish Sentence English Translation
Fernando habla mucho y dice poco. Fernando talks a lot and says very little.
En invierno nieva mucho en los Alpes. In the winter it snows a lot in the Alps.
Derek Jeter es mucho mejor de lo que fue Lou Gehrig. Derek Jeter is much better than what Lou Gehrig was.
Mi mamá me ama mucho. My mother loves me a lot.
El iPhone es mucho más que un teléfono. The iPhone is much more than a telephone.
Mi tía es muy inteligente. My aunt is very intelligent.

Mucho As an Adjective

As an adjective, mucho must agree with the noun it refers to in number and gender. It is typically translated as "much," "a lot of" or "too many"; in plural form, it typically means "many" or "a lot of."

Spanish Sentence English Translation
He oído que las naranjas tienen mucho azúcar. I have heard that oranges have a lot of sugar.
Beber mucha leche entera puede provocar sobrepeso. Drinking a lot of whole milk can cause [a person to be] overweight.
Twitter tiene muchos usuarios internacionales. Twitter has many international users.
Tras su gobierno Schwarzenegger tiene muchas opciones. After his governorship, Schwarzenegger has many options.
En el mundo hay muchos millones de personas expuestas al riesgo de erupciones volcánicas. Worldwide there are many millions of people exposed to the risk of volcanic eruptions.

Mucho As a Pronoun

When it functions as a pronoun, mucho means "a large amount of" and it must agree in gender and number with the noun it substitutes for.

Spanish Sentence English Translation
Normalmente, hay cera en los oídos, pero cuando hay mucha, puede ser necesario que el médico la remueva. Normally, there is wax in the ears. But when there is a lot, it can be necessary that the doctor remove it. (Mucha refers to cera, which is singular and feminine.)
Para recibir mucho, es necesario dar mucho. In order to receive much, it is necessary to give much.
Hay muchos que pierden su vida buscando una perfección que nunca se llega a encontrar. There are many who waste their lives looking for a perfection that never shows up to be found. (Muchos is gender neutral and plural.)
Muchas quieren ser como Marilyn Monroe. Many want to be like Marilyn Monroe. (Muchas likely refers to women and/or girls.)
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Erichsen, Gerald. "How to Use 'Mucho' Correctly in Spanish Sentences." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/mucho-and-its-variations-3079138. Erichsen, Gerald. (2023, April 5). How to Use 'Mucho' Correctly in Spanish Sentences. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/mucho-and-its-variations-3079138 Erichsen, Gerald. "How to Use 'Mucho' Correctly in Spanish Sentences." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/mucho-and-its-variations-3079138 (accessed April 24, 2024).