How to use muy de/mucho de in Spanish to state people's preferences
In colloquial Spanish, when we are talking about what sort of person we are in terms of what we like doing and our preferences in certain situations, we use this idiomatic expression:
ser/no ser + muy de/ mucho de + infinitive
For example, if someone says:
A mi me encanta trasnochar cada sábado.
I love staying up all night [clubbing] every Saturday.
and this is not your case, then you could reply in one of the following ways:
Pues, yo soy muy de quedarme en casa viendo una película.Well, I am more the type that likes staying at home watching a film.
Muy de and mucho de are interchangeable.
Notice how what follows de is always an infinitive.
You can also use:
ser + más de + infinitive
You wouldn't use it in negative sentences:
No es más de ...
Using this structure with más will contrast more with what has been said before.
If you want to make more of a comparison sentence in reference to what was said before, then you can use:
no ser + tanto de + infinitive
For example:
You cannot use this in affirmative sentences:
Son tanto de ...
Here are other examples using all these structures:
Verónica es muy de apuntarse a excursiones.Veronica is someone that really likes signing up for excursions.
Mis vecinas son mucho de organizar fiestas en su casa.My neighbours are people who like organising parties at their house.
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Examples and resources
Yo no soy tanto de cocinar platos nutritivos. Prefiero la comida rápida.I am not really someone who likes cooking nutritious dishes. I prefer fast food.
Mis vecinas son mucho de organizar fiestas en su casa.My neighbours are people who like organising parties at their house.
Pues, yo soy muy de quedarme en casa viendo una película.Well, I am more the type that likes staying at home watching a film.
Verónica es muy de apuntarse a excursiones.Veronica is someone that really likes signing up for excursions.
Mis hijos no son tanto de trasnochar. Son muy caseros y muy estudiosos.My children aren't really the type to stay up late. They like staying at home and are very studious.
Ella es más de divertirse con las amigas. Lo prefiere a las reuniones familiares.She is more someone that enjoys having fun with her friends. She prefers it to family gatherings.
-¿Tú vas mucho al cine? -No, yo soy más de ir al teatro.-Do you go to the cinema a lot? -No, I am more of a theatre person.
