Inklingo
← Dictionary

montón

/mon-TON/

a lot

A small, happy figure standing beside a gigantic, overflowing mountain of bright red apples, symbolizing a large quantity or 'a lot'.

The informal use of montón (a lot/tons) describes a large quantity of something, visualized here by a huge pile of apples.

montón(Noun)

mA1

a lot

?

general quantity

,

tons

?

informal, emphasizing quantity

Also:

loads

?

informal, similar to tons

,

a bunch

?

informal group or quantity

📝 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

💡 Grammar Points

Using 'de' for 'of'

When 'montón' means 'a lot,' you almost always follow it with 'de' before the thing you have a lot of. For example, 'un montón de trabajo' (a lot of work).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting 'un'

Mistake: "Tengo montón de tarea."

Correction: Tengo un montón de tarea. Remember to include 'un' (a) before 'montón' when using it to mean 'a lot'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Your Go-To for 'A Lot'

In casual conversation, 'un montón' is a perfect, natural-sounding substitute for 'mucho' or 'mucha'. It makes you sound more like a native speaker.

Answering a Question

You can use 'un montón' by itself to mean 'a lot'. If someone asks '¿Te gusta el chocolate?', you can just answer '¡Sí, un montón!' (Yes, a ton!).

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

Montón (pile/heap) refers to a physical accumulation of objects, such as a large heap of laundry.

montón(Noun)

mA2

pile

?

of objects, laundry, etc.

,

heap

?

of sand, dirt, rubble, etc.

Also:

stack

?

of books, papers

📝 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

💡 Grammar Points

Always Masculine

'Montón' is a masculine word, so always use 'un' or 'el' with it, like 'un montón de libros' (a pile of books).

⭐ Usage Tips

Visualizing a Pile

Think of this meaning when you can picture a physical mound or pile of things gathered together.

✏️ 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

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).