How to say good luck & more encouraging words in Spanish

Learning Spanish may not be as difficult as you’d think, but who couldn’t use a little bit of good luck?

Luck and fortune are the building blocks of many cultures around the world — and Spanish-speaking culture is no exception. If you are looking to make meaningful connections and go beyond a simple hello or how are you in Spanish, you’ll surely want to learn how to wish someone good luck.

These phrases will come in handy as you’re looking to support your new Spanish-speaking friends anytime they have a big test, job interview, or sports match. Not only will they appreciate your kind wishes, but you’ll also improve your Spanish fluency. Everybody wins!

In this article, we’ll go over 35 different ways to wish someone good luck in Spanish. As usual, we’ll also cover the pronunciation of each phrase so you can start using them right away!

Lastly, we’ll go into some cultural aspects of luck. While some superstitions are near-universal — like black cats and broken mirrors — others are more regional and will surprise you if you’re not a native speaker. Keep reading if you want to learn how to attract good luck and avoid bad luck according to Hispanic customs and norms!

Sometimes, just a basic understanding of Spanish language essentials is all you need. Download your free Spanish language essentials eBook here.

How to say good luck in Spanish

Here are 35 different ways to say good luck in Spanish. There are many more, so these are just a few dozen to get you started. You can tweak the phrase according to the situation, so feel free to build on these phrases with the rest of your Spanish vocabulary. For example, if you know someone is heading into an important test or meeting, you can wish them good luck as you say goodbye!

Words of encouragement in Spanish

They say half of everything is luck, so how do we encourage someone to keep going when luck isn’t enough? Here are over a dozen words of encouragement in Spanish that you can offer your friends, classmates, and family next time you watch a sports match or simply want to wish them well in Spanish class!

Depending on your relationship, you could also tack on some Spanish terms of endearment or words for family in Spanish when encouraging a close one.

What brings good luck in Spanish?

Picking up a new language involves so much more than just studying a textbook and memorizing vocabulary lists. To become truly proficient, you’ll have to learn a whole host of new customs, traditions, and — yes, superstitions! Even if you’re not a superstitious person yourself, you’ll definitely want to pay attention to some of these signs of good luck so you’re not taken aback when you see them in real life.

Spanish superstitions and avoiding bad luck

You’ve already spent all this time studying how to wish good luck in Spanish — why spoil it by inadvertently doing something that attracts bad luck? No matter if you’re the most superstitious person in your friend group or if you don’t mind stepping on the cracks of the sidewalk, you’ll want to avoid the following superstitions when you’re in a Spanish-speaking country. You’ll stave off bad luck if they actually work — and if they don’t, you’ll at least avoid the horrified stares of those around you!

Common Spanish phrases about luck

If you’ve spent any time around native Spanish speakers, you know that phrases and idioms are a huge part of the culture. So, no blog on saying good luck in Spanish would be complete without some popular phrases about luck. Here are some of our favorites!

Download our free Spanish essentials eBook

Don’t wait long to try your luck with these new phrases!

You’ve now learned 35 ways to wish someone good luck in Spanish, plus several dozen words of encouragement and phrases about luck. While you don’t need to worry about learning them all right away, you should pick a few of your favorites and start using them right away!

Don’t worry too much about making mistakes or not pronouncing them right. The important part is to incorporate them into your day-to-day collection of words and phrases. The more frequently you use them, the sooner you’ll get them right! Plus, your friends and family will surely appreciate your well-meaning efforts!

If you want to push your luck and keep learning even more Spanish vocabulary, check out our Spanish blog. We routinely publish helpful content for all Spanish levels, including absolute elementary topics like the numbers in Spanish and intermediate topics like personality traits. We even have a guide to the 100 hardest words in Spanish!