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montón

mon-TONmonˈton

“montón” means “a lot” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

a lot, tons

Also: loads, a bunch
NounmA1informal
Spain
A small, happy figure standing beside a gigantic, overflowing mountain of bright red apples, symbolizing a large quantity or 'a lot'.

📝 In Action

Tengo un montón de amigos.

A1

I have a lot of friends.

¡Gracias un montón por tu ayuda!

A2

Thanks a ton for your help!

Me gusta un montón esta canción.

B1

I like this song a lot.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • mucho (a lot, much)
  • mogollón (tons (Spain, slang))

Antonyms

  • poco (a little, few)

Common Collocations

  • un montón de gente – a lot of people
  • un montón de veces – a lot of times
  • un montón de gracias – thanks a lot / thanks a ton

Idioms & Expressions

  • costar un montón – to cost a lot of money
  • saber un montón – to know a lot about something

pile, heap

Also: stack
NounmA2
A massive, unstable, and towering pile of multicolored clean laundry stacked haphazardly in the middle of a bright room.

📝 In Action

Hay un montón de ropa sucia en el suelo.

A2

There is a pile of dirty clothes on the floor.

El niño hizo un montón de arena en la playa.

B1

The child made a heap of sand on the beach.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • pila (pile, stack)
  • cúmulo (accumulation, heap)

Common Collocations

  • un montón de tierra – a pile of dirt
  • hacer un montón – to make a pile

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "montón" in Spanish:

a bunch→heap→stack→tons→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: montón

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'montón' in the most INFORMAL way?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
amontonar(to pile up, to stack) — Verb
amontonamiento(pile-up, heap) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
corazóncanciónlimón
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the word 'monte' (mountain), with the ending '-ón' added to mean 'a big one.' So, 'montón' literally means 'a big mountain' or a 'mound,' which is why it came to mean a pile or a lot of something.

First recorded: 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: montãoCatalan: munt

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'montón' the same as 'mucho'?

They are very similar! 'Mucho' means 'much' or 'a lot' and can be used in almost any situation. 'Un montón' also means 'a lot' but is more informal and conversational. Think of it like saying 'tons' or 'a bunch' in English. It's great for everyday chat!

Do I say 'un montón' or 'el montón'?

You'll almost always use 'un montón' when you mean 'a lot of something.' 'El montón' means 'the pile' and refers to a specific pile you've already talked about, like 'el montón de ropa que está en la silla' (the pile of clothes that's on the chair).