Believe it or not, learning ways in which you can cheer on in Spanish is a really useful thing. Why? Let’s be honest; we all love words of encouragement. No matter if we’re going through a breakup or we just graduated from college, humans like to feel that our accomplishments and feelings are being acknowledged.
If you want to know how to cheer someone on in Spanish, keep reading because in this article, you’ll find 10 different encouraging phrases that will help you stay supportive of your loved ones.
1. Échale ganas – Give it your all
A popular Mexican expression to uplift people and motivate them to do their best is ‘échale ganas’, which can be translated as ‘give it your all’. Typically, people use it in situations where the person they want to cheer up is going through a bad moment.
In this context, ‘échale ganas’ expresses that you want the other person to use their full potential to come out of a challenging situation.
‘Echarle’ conjugated + ganas + [complement]
Échenle ganas, niñas.
Give it your all, girls.
Chavos, échenle ganas mañana.
Guys, give it all tomorrow.
Échale ganas, no te rindas.
Give it your all, don’t give up.
Échele ganas, yo sé que usted puede.
Give it your all; I know you can do it.
Some people like to use the variation échale, especially to drive people to do something at that moment.
Take Note: The expression echarle ganas can also express that a person worked hard or made a good effort to do something.
Le eché muchas ganas a mi proyecto, ojalá me vaya bien.
I worked very hard on my project; I hope it goes well.
2. ¡Vamos! – Let’s go!
Given that ¡vamos! is the direct translation of ‘let’s go!’ you probably already have an idea of what this means and how to use it. This expression usually has an energetic vibe, so it’s mostly used in exciting situations, such as sports games or competitions.
¡Vamos! + [complement]
¡Vamos, hijo!
Let’s go, son!
¡Vamos! ¡Gánales!
Let’s go! Beat them!
¡Vamos, tú puedes!
Let’s go. You got this!
Variations of ¡vamos!
- ¡Dale! is generally used as an affirmative answer or to motivate people to do something.
- ¡Hala! is an interjection used only in Spain to cheer someone up or to urge them to do something. (¡Hala, Madrid!)
Take Note: Don’t confuse ‘¡vamos’! vs vámonos. ‘Vamos’ is used to cheer someone up or to express that a person is going somewhere. On the other hand, ‘vámonos’ describes that a person is leaving a place.
3. ¡Ánimo! – Cheer up!
Another common Spanish expression to encourage people that are sad, worried or discouraged is ¡ánimo!, which is the equivalent of ‘cheer up!’.
However, this is not a phrase that you would use if someone is facing a really serious problem or a tragedy. So, say that someone just failed an exam, had a breakup or didn’t get tickets for a concert. Telling them ¡ánimo! and inviting them for a drink would be ideal.
¡Ánimo! + [complement]
¡Ánimo! Todo va a estar bien.
Cheer up! Everything will be alright.
¡Ánimo! Puedes intentarlo una vez más.
Cheer up! You can try one more time.
¡Ánimo! Hay muchos peces en el agua.
Cheer up! There are plenty more fish in the sea.
4. ¡Buen trabajo! – Good job!
If you want to congratulate someone for their outstanding performance, be sure to tell them ¡buen trabajo! Since this phrase means ‘good job!’, it’s ideal for congratulating people at work, students and athletes. But you can also use it to congratulate a person who did a good job on something.
¡Buen trabajo! + [complement]
¡Buen trabajo! Has mejorado mucho.
Good job! You have improved a lot.
¡Buen trabajo! Lo estás haciendo muy bien.
Good job! You’re doing amazing.
¡Buen trabajo! Me encantó tu último proyecto.
Good job! I loved your latest project.
5. ¡Venga! – C’mon!
¡Venga! is the translation of ‘c’mon!’ and it has many uses. In the context of encouraging people, Spanish speakers commonly use it to show support to someone and hype them up in some situations.
¡Venga! + [complement]
¡Venga! ¡Eso es todo!
C’mon! That’s it!
¡Venga! ¡Así se hace!
Come on! Way to go!
¡Venga! No te desanimes.
Come on! Don’t be discouraged.
Take Note: In Castilian Spanish, ¡venga! is also used to rush someone.
6. ¡No te rindas! – Don’t give up!
We’ve all felt like giving up sometimes. If you notice that someone is feeling a little discouraged about a project or a certain goal, telling them to not give up with the phrase ¡no te rindas! is a good way to let them know you believe in them and it will surely be appreciated.
¡No + [reflexive pronoun] + [‘rendir’ conjugated]! + [complement]
¡No te rindas! Ya casi terminas.
Don’t give up! You’re almost finished.
¡No se rindan! Tienen mucho potencial.
Don’t give up! You have a lot of potential.
¡No te rindas! Puedes lograr todo lo que te propongas.
Don’t give up! You can achieve everything you set your mind to.
7. ¡Sigue así! – Keep it up!
¡Sigue así! means ‘keep it up!’ or ‘keep up the good work!’ and it’s another great phrase to encourage someone that is already doing great. For example, I would tell you ¡sigue así! since you’re making a great effort to learn Spanish.
[‘Seguir’ conjugated] + así + [complement]
¡Sigue así! Excelente trabajo.
Keep it up! Excellent work.
¡Sigue así! Vas a llegar muy lejos.
Keep it up! You’re going to get very far.
¡Sigan así! a este paso van a ganar la competencia.
Keep up the good work! At this rate, you’ll win the competition.
8. ¡Sí se puede! – You can do it!
This one is a phrase that is very suitable for situations where there’s a challenge or difficulty. Although its closest translation would be ‘you can do it!’, ¡sí se puede! also works when expressing support of a general circumstance. It’s like saying: ‘yes, it’s possible to achieve this!’.
If you go to a sports match or something like that, you’ll notice that Spanish speakers chant this phrase together with a particular rhythm pattern 😉
¡Sí se puede! + [complement]
¡Sí se puede! No te rindas.
You can do it! Don’t give up.
¡Sí se puede! Tienes el talento.
You can do it! You have the talent.
¡Sí se puede! Todo está en tus manos.
You can do it! It’s all in your hands.
Two variations of this expression are ‘tú puedes’ or ‘puedes hacerlo’, which means ‘you can do it’. These two options are direct translations, so they are more fitting if you want to show support to one person in particular.
9. ¡Vas muy bien! – You’re doing great!
For celebrating someone’s progress ¡vas muy bien! works really well. Its English equivalent would be ‘you’re doing great!’ so we can also use it as a phrase of assurance, in case the person is feeling a little unsure about their abilities.
¡[‘Ir’ conjugated] + muy bien! + [complement]
¡Van muy bien, niños!
You’re doing great, kids.
Vas muy bien, no te preocupes.
You’re doing great, don’t worry.
¡Vas muy bien! Tus resultados son increíbles.
You’re doing great! Your results are incredible.
Another way of saying ‘you’re doing great!’ is ‘lo estás haciendo muy bien’, which is a more direct translation.
10. ¡Bien hecho! – Well done!
¡Bien hecho! is very similar to ‘¡buen trabajo!’ in meaning and use. It means ‘well done!’, so Spanish speakers use it after somebody has made an achievement, to congratulate them for their good quality job or because they have done something right.
¡Bien hecho! + [complement]
¡Bien hecho! Pasaste la prueba.
Well done! You passed the test.
Bien hecho, tomaste la mejor decisión.
Well done, you made the best decision.
Bien hecho, niños. Se merecen un premio.
Well done, kids. You deserve a reward.
Wrapping Up
¡Buen trabajo! We finished the article! As you can see, whether someone is going through difficult times or the best moment of their lives, words of encouragement are always positive. So, if one of your Hispanic friends ever needs a little cheering up, don’t doubt and show them your support by using one of the encouraging phrases we went through in this article.