How to Say "totally" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “totally” is “completamente” — use 'completamente' when you mean 'completely' or 'entirely' in a literal sense, modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs..
completamente
/kom-pleh-tah-men-teh//komˌple.taˈmen.te/
Examples
El vaso está completamente vacío.
The glass is completely empty.
Estoy completamente seguro de mi respuesta.
I am completely sure of my answer.
Olvidé completamente su cumpleaños.
I completely forgot his birthday.
What is an Adverb?
Words like 'completamente' are adverbs. They describe how an action is done or add intensity to another word. Think of them as adding detail, like saying 'run quickly' instead of just 'run'.
The '-mente' Trick
In Spanish, you can often turn an adjective (a describing word) into an adverb by adding '-mente' to the end of its feminine form. 'Completa' (complete) becomes 'completamente' (completely). It's just like adding '-ly' in English!
Placement Matters
Mistake: “Using 'completo' instead of 'completamente'. For example, 'Estoy completo seguro.'”
Correction: The correct way is 'Estoy completamente seguro.' You need the '-mente' ending to describe *how* you feel (completely sure), not just to describe a thing.
totalmente
/toh-tahl-men-teh//toˌtalˈmente/
Examples
La habitación estaba totalmente a oscuras.
The room was completely dark.
Olvidé totalmente que hoy era tu cumpleaños.
I totally forgot that today was your birthday.
El proyecto está totalmente terminado.
The project is fully finished.
What is an Adverb?
An adverb is a word that describes an action (verb) or adds more detail to a descriptive word (adjective). 'Totalmente' tells you 'how much' or 'to what extent' something is done or is.
Making '-mente' Adverbs
In Spanish, you can turn many descriptive words into adverbs by adding '-mente'. Just take the feminine form of the word and add '-mente'. For example, 'total' (which is the same for masculine and feminine) becomes 'totalmente'.
Word Order
Mistake: “Estoy de acuerdo totalmente.”
Correction: Estoy totalmente de acuerdo. While the first version isn't strictly wrong, it's much more natural to place 'totalmente' right before the word it's describing ('de acuerdo').
toda
/toh-dah//ˈto.ða/
Examples
Mi hermana se puso toda roja de la vergüenza.
My sister turned all red with embarrassment.
La niña estaba toda orgullosa de su dibujo.
The little girl was all proud of her drawing.
Después de trabajar en el jardín, terminé toda sucia.
After working in the garden, I ended up all dirty.
It Still Has to Match!
Even when you use it for emphasis, 'toda' must still match the person or thing it describes. For a boy, you would say 'estaba todo sucio' (he was all dirty).
Adverb vs. Adjective Confusion
Related Translations
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