muy

Muy is a Spanish adverb used as an intensifier meaning very or extremely. It generally precedes the word it modifies, amplifying the meaning of adjectives and adverbs. Common examples include muy bueno (very good), muy rápido (very fast), and muy bien (very well). It can also appear with past participles in phrases such as muy trabajado, though in many contexts bien is preferred when describing how something was done.

Etymology: Muy derives from Latin multum/multus and entered Spanish through Vulgar Latin. Its cognates appear in other Romance languages, such as Portuguese muito and Italian molto, all sharing the sense of considerable degree.

Usage and grammar: Muy is used before adjectives and adverbs and can form negative statements, as in no es muy caro (it’s not very expensive) or no estoy muy seguro (I’m not very certain). Unlike mucho, which is more flexible and can modify nouns and verbs, muy is restricted to modifying adjectives or adverbs and cannot modify verbs directly. In some contexts tan may replace muy to express a similar degree, often in comparative constructions.

Examples: Es muy inteligente. Corre muy rápido. La película es muy interesante. No estoy muy seguro.

Remarks: Muy is one of the most common degree modifiers in everyday Spanish and appears across formal and informal registers. It is often used to convey moderate to strong emphasis, with alternatives such as extremadamente or bastante providing other degrees of emphasis. See also tan, mucho.