mucho
Lemma Details
Translation: much; many; a lot; very; greatly; plenty
Part of Speech: adjective, adverb, pronoun
Etymology: Derived from Latin 'multus' meaning 'much, many, abundant'. This Latin root also gave English words like 'multiple', 'multiply', and 'multitude'. The evolution from Latin 'multus' to Spanish 'mucho' involved a sound change where the 'l' was dropped and 't' shifted to 'ch', a common phonological development in Romance languages.
Commonality: 95%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'much' in English, which is very similar in both spelling and meaning.
- Remember 'mucho' as in 'much-o' - just add an 'o' to the English word 'much'.
- For the plural forms, think of 'muchos' as 'much-of-these' and 'muchas' as 'much-of-those'.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Cultural Context
A fundamental word in Spanish used in countless everyday expressions. The phrase 'mucho gusto' is a common greeting when meeting someone for the first time, literally meaning 'much pleasure' but used as 'pleased to meet you'.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'mucho' can mean 'very' when used as an adverb, 'muy' is exclusively used as an adverb meaning 'very' and modifies adjectives and other adverbs. 'Mucho' is more versatile and can function as an adjective, adverb, or pronoun.
Notes: 'Muy' always precedes the word it modifies, while 'mucho' as an adverb often follows the verb.
Mnemonic: 'Muy' is shorter and only means 'very', while 'mucho' is longer and has more meanings (much, many, a lot).
Explanation: 'Mucho' means 'much/many/a lot' while 'tanto' means 'so much/so many/as much/as many'. 'Tanto' is often used in comparisons or to express an excessive amount.
This word:
Tengo muchos libros.
I have many books.
Confused word:
Tengo tantos libros como tú.
I have as many books as you.
Notes: 'Tanto' is often used in correlative constructions like 'tanto... como' (as much/many... as).
Mnemonic: Think of 'tanto' as related to 'tantamount' in English, suggesting equivalence or comparison.