How to Say "deeply" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “deeply” is “profundamente” — use this word when referring to emotions, thoughts, or a literal, intense degree of something, like sleep or gratitude.
profundamente
pro-foon-dah-MEN-tehpɾofunðaˈmente
Examples
El director agradeció profundamente a su equipo por el esfuerzo.
The director deeply thanked his team for the effort.
Ella reflexionó profundamente sobre la decisión antes de responder.
She profoundly reflected on the decision before answering.
El libro explora temas que nos afectaron profundamente.
The book explores themes that affected us deeply.
El bebé durmió profundamente durante diez horas.
The baby slept deeply for ten hours.
The '-mente' Pattern
This word is an adverb, which means it describes how an action is done. Most Spanish adverbs are formed by adding the ending '-mente' (similar to the English '-ly') to the feminine version of the adjective (profunda + mente).
Overusing 'Muy'
Mistake: “Usar 'muy profundo' para describir un sentimiento.”
Correction: Use 'profundamente' instead. It sounds more natural and eloquent when describing how an action is performed, rather than just using 'very deep.'
hondo
OHN-dohˈondo
Examples
Respira hondo y relájate.
Breathe deeply and relax.
Sus palabras calaron hondo en el público.
His words left a deep impression on the audience.
Always 'Hondo' as an Action Word
When describing how you do an action (like breathing), the word always stays 'hondo'. You don't need to change it to match anything else.
intensamente
een-ten-sah-MEN-tehintenˈsamente
Examples
Ella ama intensamente a sus hijos.
She loves her children intensely.
El equipo trabajó intensamente para ganar el campeonato.
The team worked hard to win the championship.
La luz del sol brilla intensamente sobre el mar.
The sunlight shines intensely over the sea.
The '-mente' ending
This ending is just like the English '-ly.' It turns a descriptive word (intenso) into a word that explains how an action is done.
Placement in a sentence
You usually place this word right after the action it is describing, such as 'Llovió intensamente' (It rained intensely).
Using the wrong word for 'very'
Mistake: “Es intensamente frío.”
Correction: Say 'Hace mucho frío' or 'Está muy frío.' Use 'intensamente' to describe an action or a feeling, not usually as a replacement for 'very' before an adjective.
fuertemente
fwer-te-MEN-tefweɾteˈmente
Examples
Tienes que presionar el botón fuertemente.
You have to press the button hard.
Anoche sopló el viento fuertemente.
The wind blew strongly last night.
Esa noticia me afectó fuertemente.
That news affected me deeply.
Creating '-ly' words
In Spanish, adding '-mente' to the end of an adjective is just like adding '-ly' in English to describe how something is done.
The Accent Secret
Even though 'fuertemente' doesn't have a written accent mark, you pronounce it as if it has two 'stress' points: one on 'fuer' and the main one on 'men'.
Using it for people's traits
Mistake: “Él es fuertemente.”
Correction: Say 'Él es fuerte.' Use 'fuertemente' only to describe an action, not a person's character or appearance.
huesos
WÉH-sohsˈwesos
Examples
Hace tanto frío que tengo la sensación de tener frío hasta los huesos.
It's so cold that I feel cold right down to the core (literally, 'down to the bones').
Esa mujer es ambiciosa hasta los huesos; no le importa nadie más.
That woman is ambitious to the core; she doesn't care about anyone else.
The Phrase 'Hasta los huesos'
This phrase is used to emphasize that a feeling (usually cold, but sometimes a quality like ambition or evil) affects you completely or reaches your deepest being.
Profundamente vs. Hondo
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