muchos
Lemma Details
Translation: many; a lot of; numerous; plenty of
Part of Speech: adjective
Etymology: Derived from Latin 'multus' meaning 'much, many'. The English words 'multiple', 'multitude', and 'multiply' share the same Latin root. The Spanish word evolved from Vulgar Latin with the characteristic Spanish change of 'lt' to 'ch', similar to how Latin 'multum' became Spanish 'mucho'.
Commonality: 95%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of a 'multitude' of things to remember 'muchos' means 'many'
- The 'ch' sound in 'muchos' can remind you of a sneeze - 'ah-choo!' - as if there are so many things they make you sneeze
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Cultural Context
A very common quantifier in Spanish used in everyday speech. The distinction between 'muchos' (for countable nouns) and 'mucho' (for uncountable nouns) is important in Spanish grammar.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Muchos' is the masculine plural form used with countable nouns, while 'mucho' is the masculine singular form used with uncountable nouns.
Confused word:
Hay mucho tráfico hoy.
There is a lot of traffic today.
Notes: The distinction between countable and uncountable nouns determines whether to use 'muchos' or 'mucho'.
Mnemonic: 'Muchos' ends with 's' for plural things you can count; 'mucho' has no 's' for things you can't count.
Explanation: 'Muchos' means 'many' and is used with nouns, while 'muy' means 'very' and is used with adjectives and adverbs.
Confused word:
El examen es muy difícil.
The exam is very difficult.
Notes: 'Muchos' quantifies nouns, while 'muy' intensifies adjectives and adverbs.
Mnemonic: Think of 'muy' as 'very' - both have the letter 'y'.