"Quien tiene un amigo tiene un tesoro" (He who has a friend has a treasure) – this popular Spanish saying perfectly captures how friendship is valued across the Spanish-speaking world. While amigo is the most universally recognized word for "friend" in Spanish, the richness of this language offers a colorful variety of terms that reflect unique cultural identities and relationship dynamics.
In this lesson, we'll explore 16 different ways to say "friend" in Spanish, from standard terms used across countries to regional expressions that will help you sound like a local. Understanding these friendship terms won't just improve your vocabulary – it will give you insight into the cultural nuances of different Spanish-speaking communities.
Amigo (male friend) and amiga (female friend) are the most basic and widely recognized terms for "friend" in Spanish. These words are understood everywhere Spanish is spoken and appear in textbooks worldwide.
¡Basta, y no le hables así a mi amigo Sam!
Stop it, and don't talk like that to my friend Sam!
Caption 40, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 4: Sam busca un trabajo - Part 6
Play Caption
In plural form, you'd use amigos for a group of male friends or a mixed-gender group, while amigas refers exclusively to female friends. It's a completely neutral term that can describe any level of friendship, from an acquaintance you occasionally chat with to your closest confidant.
One important cultural note: In many Spanish-speaking countries, people may call you amigo or amiga even when they've just met you. Waiters, taxi drivers, or shop attendants might use these terms as a friendly gesture, not because they consider you an actual friend.
While hermano literally means "brother" and hermana means "sister," these terms are widely used across Spanish-speaking countries to refer to very close friends who aren't blood relatives. Using hermano or hermana to address a friend emphasizes the family-like bond you share with them. Many Spanish speakers will shorten these to mano or use the diminutive forms hermanito/hermanita to add affection.
Hermanito, ¿yo qué hago? Yo me considero su mejor amigo,
Brother, what can I do? I consider myself his best friend,
Caption 12, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 5 - Part 2
Play Caption
Traditionally, compadre and comadre refer to a child's godparents or the relationship between parents and godparents. However, these terms have evolved to describe trusted friends, especially in Mexico and other Latin American countries. Calling someone your compadre implies a relationship built on mutual respect and trust. It's often used among men of similar age and social standing. The shortened form compa is also very common, particularly in Mexico.
¡Órale compadre, échese un trago!
Come on, pal, throw down a drink!
Caption 5, El Ausente Acto 1 - Part 7
Play Caption
The word compañero/a literally means "companion" and is often used in contexts where people share activities, spaces, or goals. This term is particularly common in educational and professional settings. The affectionate shortened form compi is frequently used in Spain to refer to classmates or coworkers with whom you have a friendly relationship.
Mexico has several unique and colorful terms for friends. One of the most distinctive is cuate, which comes from the Nahuatl language, where coatl originally meant "twin" or "snake." In modern Mexican Spanish, calling someone your cuate implies a close friendship, often between men. You might hear expressions like Ese es mi cuate (That's my buddy) or Voy con mis cuates (I'm going with my friends).
Sí iba con mi cuate, con mi patineta.
I was with my buddy, with my skateboard.
Caption 29, Amigos D.F. El secuestrar
Play Caption
Carnal (derived from carne, meaning "flesh") is another popular Mexican term that equates friendship with family bonds. It's similar to calling someone your "blood brother" in English. This term is predominantly used among men and suggests a deep, loyal friendship that goes beyond ordinary companionship. When someone says Es mi carnal, they're indicating a friend they consider as close as a sibling.
O sea normalmente a los hermanos se les dicen "carnales". Pero yo, pues ahora sí que a mis amigotes, yo les digo "carnales"... -Sí. -porque vienen siendo,
I mean, normally, we call siblings "carnales." But I, well, now, my friends, I do, I call them "carnales"... -Yes, because they are,
Captions 53-55, Pipo Mexicanismos - Part 1
Play Caption
Güey (sometimes spelled wey) is incredibly versatile in Mexican Spanish. While it can be used as an insult in some contexts, among friends it's a casual way to address each other, similar to "dude" or "man" in English. This term has become such a fundamental part of Mexican Spanish that it's often used as a filler word in casual conversation, much like "like" or "you know" in English.
Esa es una forma también de decirle "¿qué onda, güey?" o algo así.
That's also a way of saying, "what's up, dude?" or something of the sort.
Caption 18, La Banda Chilanguense El habla de México - Part 2
Play Caption
In Colombia, particularly in Medellín and surrounding regions, parcero (male) or parcera (female) are common terms for friends. These are often shortened to parce in casual conversation. This distinctly Colombian expression became internationally known through music, movies, and TV shows from the region. Saying ¿Qué más, parce? is a typical Colombian greeting between friends.
Parce, venga, yo le digo una cosa, hermano, vea
Friend, come, I'll tell you something, brother, look
Caption 1, Juanes La Plata
Play Caption
Another uniquely Colombian expression is llave (literally "key"), implying that a friend has the key to your trust. This term is especially common in Bogotá and other regions of Colombia. When someone calls you their llave, they're indicating a high level of trust and confidence in your friendship.
Ay, llave, ese man nos va a dar en la jeta.
Oh, pal, that guy is going to punch us in the face.
Caption 1, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 5 - Part 2
Play Caption
Peru has its own distinctive friendship vocabulary. Pata (literally "leg" or "paw") is a widely used colloquial term for a friend. You might hear expressions like Es mi pata del colegio (He's my friend from school) or Mis patas vienen a la fiesta (My friends are coming to the party).
Another uniquely Peruvian term is causa, which can be made more affectionate as causita with the diminutive. These terms are especially common among male friends. The origin of this slang term is debated, but it's one of the most distinctive features of Peruvian Spanish.
In Venezuela, pana is one of the most popular words for friend. It's used for both male and female friends without changing form. The term carries a sense of closeness and trust, and you'll hear it frequently in casual conversation throughout Venezuela and neighboring countries.
¡Muévete, pana, que mientras más rápido hagamos esto vamos a tener más tiempo con las nenas!
Move, friend, as the faster we do this we are going to have more time with the girls!
Captions 80-81, NPS No puede ser 1 - El concurso - Part 10
Play Caption
Venezuelans also use chamo (male) or chama (female) to refer to friends, especially among younger people. These terms can also mean "kid" or "young person" but are often used between friends of any age. These expressions have become emblematic of Venezuelan Spanish and are immediately recognizable as part of the country's linguistic identity.
En Venezuela, se saluda: "¡Épale, chama!"
In Venezuela, people greet each other saying: "Hey, girl!"
Caption 13, Español en las calles Varias expresiones
Play Caption
Spain has its own distinctive friendship vocabulary. Tío (uncle) and tía (aunt) are perhaps the most widely used casual terms among friends in Spain, equivalent to "dude" or "man" in English. Colega (colleague) has evolved in Spain from its formal meaning to become an everyday term for "buddy" or "mate." Tronco/tronca (literally "trunk") is another distinctly Spanish term, especially popular in Madrid and central Spain.
¡Eh, tío! ¡Qué divertido!
Hey, man! How fun!
Caption 22, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 5: Ha nacido una estrella - Part 9
Play Caption
In Chile, weón (sometimes spelled huevón or hueón) is an extremely common term used between friends. While it can be offensive in certain contexts, between friends it's a sign of closeness and trust. Be careful with this term, as it requires understanding the proper context and pronunciation. Used incorrectly, it could be perceived as an insult rather than a term of endearment.
In Cuba, asere or acere (with origins in African languages brought to the island) is a friendly and warm way to address a close friend. This distinctly Cuban expression is one of the first slang terms visitors to the island will hear, and it carries a sense of camaraderie and cultural identity.
Understanding the different words for "friend" in Spanish gives you insight into the rich cultural variations in how relationships are perceived and expressed across the Spanish-speaking world. While the basic concept of friendship is universal, the language used to describe it reflects unique cultural perspectives and values.
The next time you're speaking with Spanish-speaking friends, try incorporating some of these regional terms into your conversation. Not only will you impress them with your cultural knowledge, but you'll also create a more authentic connection through language. What about you? Do you know any other words to refer to friends in Spanish? Which one is your favorite? Let us know and don't forget to send us your comments and questions.
In this lesson, we will talk about the Spanish preposition sin, which usually translates to "without" in English. In the following lines, we will explore the various ways to use sin, providing different examples to illustrate its use in different contexts. Get ready!
Like the English preposition "without," the primary function of the Spanish preposition sin is to indicate the absence or lack of something. Let's take a look:
en la camioneta, una camioneta blanca sin, este, sin ventanas.
in a van, a white van without, um, without windows.
Caption 32, Amigos D.F. El secuestrar
Play Caption
Y así acaba nuestro carnaval y la gente sin dinero pero contenta.
And that's how our carnival ends, and people [are left] without money but happy.
Captions 82-83, Cleer y Lida El Carnaval de Barranquilla - Part 2
Play Caption
Of course, an alternative translation for sin in this second example would be "with no money," which conveys the same idea.
Note that, when used to talk about a lack of something, the preposition sin is the direct opposite of the preposition con. Let's see an example of each with the same noun:
Entonces, se recomienda, todas las mañanas, comer la mitad de una toronja o un pomelo; sin azúcar, no hagan trampa.
So, it's recommended, every morning, to eat half a grapefruit or a "pomelo;" without sugar, don't cheat.
Captions 67-69, Otavalo Conozcamos el Mundo de las Frutas con Julia
Play Caption
Es una bebida refrescante que se pone jugo de limón con azúcar y agua.
It's a refreshing drink in which one puts lemon juice with sugar and water.
Caption 24, Otavalo Julia nos muestra las verduras
Play Caption
In certain cases, sin can convey opposition or contradiction between two elements. Let's take a look:
Sin embargo, muchas veces tenemos complementos que hacen las veces de adjetivo sin ser adjetivos necesariamente:
However, we often have complements that function as adjectives without necessarily being adjectives:
Captions 50-52, Ana Carolina El uso correcto de los adjetivos
Play Caption
The preposition sin can also be used to talk about something that has not occurred during a specific period of time. Let's see this usage in action:
Cuéntame ¿qué ha pasado en estos siete años sin vernos? -Ay...
Tell me what has happened in these seven years without seeing each other? -Oh...
Caption 10, El reencuentro Las amigas hablan del trabajo y el amor.
Play Caption
A more colloquial way to express this in English might be "in these seven years we didn't see each other."
When used after the adverb no, the preposition sin helps to reinforce a message or emphasize something. Let's look at the following video clip:
Me despido de todos, no sin antes recordarles que estén pendiente[s] de nuestro siguiente video.
I'll say goodbye to everyone, not without first reminding you to be on the lookout for our next video.
Captions 32-33, Manos a la obra Separadores de libros: Pikachu
Play Caption
When followed by an infinitive verb, the preposition sin can additionally be used to give orders! Let's see one last example:
¡Niños, todos a la cama y sin protestar!
Children, all to bed and without protest!
As you can see, the preposition sin allows for the expression of absence, opposition, and other related concepts. We encourage you to practice using it in different ways to solidify your understanding of this versatile preposition, and don't forget to send us your suggestions and comments.
Are you familiar with the Spanish preposition contra? In most cases, the Spanish preposition contra can be translated as "against" and functions very similarly to many uses of its English counterpart. Occasionally, however, this Spanish preposition can be used to depict situations in which a different English preposition could be utilized. Let's explore some uses and nuances of this Spanish preposition.
The first meaning of the Spanish preposition contra refers to the opposition of two or more things, in which case it is typically translated as "against." Let's take a look at a couple of examples that describe entities facing off "against" one another:
una batalla ocurrida en mil setecientos dos que enfrentó a ingleses y holandeses contra españoles y franceses,
a battle that took place in seventeen oh two, which pitted the English and Dutch against the Spanish and French,
Captions 56-57, Adrián en Galicia Vigo
Play Caption
¿Cómo ves el Mundial? ¿Cómo ves esto? -Yo lo veo que vamos a ser España contra Argentina.
How do you see the World Cup? How do you see this? -I see it as we're going to be Spain against Argentina.
Captions 55-56, Víctor en España El Mundial de Catar 2022 - Part 2
Play Caption
Similarly, the Spanish preposition contra can reference the literal or figurative fight "against" something specific, such as a disease or cause:
pero la lucha contra el narcotráfico continúa
but the fight against narco-trafficking continues,
Caption 41, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar Capítulo 1 - Part 11
Play Caption
Busco un remedio contra el dolor de cabeza.
I'm looking for some headache medicine.
Note that in this last example, while the word "contra" implies combatting pain, it is not explicitly translated into English.
Like the English word "against," the Spanish preposition contra can indicate a sentiment of disagreement, disapproval, or opposition, for example, to a particular cause, notion, or person. Let's examine some examples of this meaning of contra:
¡Y contra eso estamos!
And we're against that!
Caption 58, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar Capítulo 1 - Part 13
Play Caption
In this context, the word contra often appears within the construction en contra de, which means "against" or "in opposition to":
Los diferentes sistemas o soluciones constructivas, eh... No estoy a favor o en contra de ninguno.
The different systems or constructive solutions, um... I'm not in favor of or against any one.
Captions 7-8, Leif El Arquitecto Español y su Arte - Part 2
Play Caption
This third use of the Spanish preposition contra denotes the direction of a movement "towards" something or someone. Although the word "against" can sometimes act as an English equivalent of this usage, in other cases, different English prepositions may be more common translations. For example, if you said "Reboté mi pelota contra la pared," a common translation would be "I bounced my ball off the wall." Let's see a few more examples:
El coche chocó contra la pared
The car crashed into the wall
Bochica lanzó su báculo contra la montaña,
Bochica threw his staff at the mountain,
Caption 51, Aprendiendo con Carlos América precolombina - El mito de Bochica
Play Caption
se percuten contra el piso. Otras veces, esos instrumentos se percuten... madera contra madera.
are struck against the floor. Other times, those instruments are struck... reed to reed.
Captions 29-31, Sonido Babel Los quitiplás
Play Caption
This meaning of the Spanish preposition contra typically describes things that are leaning "on" or "(up) against" something else, or facing it, as in the following examples:
El niño apoyó su patinete contra la pared.
The child leaned his scooter on/against the wall.
Arrimaron los tablones contra el muro.
They put the boards up against the wall.
In common expressions like "entrega contra reembolso" (delivery on/upon payment) or "pago contra entrega" (payment on/upon receipt), the Spanish preposition contra conveys that one thing happens in exchange for another and/or cannot happen until something else has occurred:
Recibirán el dinero contra entrega de la factura.
You'll receive the money when you submit the invoice.
Interestingly, the securities industry uses a similar term, versus, in expressions like Delivery Versus Payment (DVP) to say that payment must take place in order for the delivery to happen. However, most of the time, the English words "on," "upon," or "when" convey this notion.
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has clarified for you the different uses of the Spanish preposition contra. Can you think of any additional examples and/or their English translations? We'd love for you to write us with you insights and questions.
To begin this lesson, let's take a look at a caption in a Yabla video that recently baffled one our subscribers:
Obviamente, la comunicación es la esencia de este tipo de trabajos.
Obviously, communication is the essence of this type of job.
Caption 40, Negocios - La solicitud de empleo
Play Caption
Spanish sentences such as this one involving "tipo de" ["type" or "types of"] tend to confuse English speakers. After all, the literal translation of this sentence would read, "Obviously, communication is the essence of this type of jobs," which doesn’t work in English since “this” is singular and “jobs” is plural. In the vast majority of similar constructions in English involving countable nouns (nouns like "leaf/leaves," "cookie/cookies," etc. that can be physically counted), there must be singular/singular or plural/plural agreement, leaving one with the choice of either "this type of job" or "these types of jobs."
However, this is not the case in Spanish since singular with plural is the most common construction, or occasionally singular with singular in the case of a single noun. Let’s look at some examples of each of these cases:
Si a todo esto añadimos otro tipo de problemas medio ambientales.
If to all this we add another kind of environmental problem.
Caption 16, 3R - Campaña de reciclaje
Play Caption
Yo sí tengo la esperanza que se reduzc'... se reduzcan este tipo de eventos, ¿no?
I do have the hope that these types of occurrences will be red'... will be reduced, right?
Caption 57, Amigos D.F. - El secuestrar
Play Caption
¿Qué tipo de habitación desea?
What kind of room would you like?
Caption 10, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 1
Play Caption
Note that in the case above, habitación is considered a single noun since the gentleman being addressed is only looking for one room; hence the singular with singular construction.
In both Spanish and English, uncountable nouns (nouns like "water," "coffee," "love," etc. that cannot be counted) go in singular with tipo de (or "type(s)" or "kind(s)") of as follows:
Y digamos que conforme se va fabricando ese tipo de líquido,
And let's say that just as that type of liquid is being produced,
Caption 92, Animales en familia - La operación de Yaki
Play Caption
En ellos, recibió todo tipo de apoyo de sus simpatizantes.
In them, he got all kinds of support from his followers.
Caption 35, Andrés Manuel López Obrador - Publicidad de Obrador
Play Caption
To add further confusion for English speakers (sorry!), in most such cases with "partitive" (referring to part of a whole) constructions like "tipo de," the verb can be conjugated in either singular or plural! Let's take a look at a couple of examples:
En cuanto al tipo de... trabajos que me gusta ver.
In terms of the types of... projects that I like to see.
Caption 22, Álvaro - Arquitecto Español en Londres
Play Caption
Note that the verb gustar is conjugated in first person in accordance with the singular noun el tipo. However, without changing the translation, it would be perfectly acceptable to instead conjugate gustar in accordance with the plural trabajos:
En cuanto al tipo de... trabajos que me gustan ver.
In terms of the types of... projects that I like to see.
Let's look at one more example:
Además, en la conjugación de los verbos,
Also, in the conjugation of verbs,
este tipo de sufijos nos indican.
these types of suffixes tell us.
Captions 35-36, Carlos explica - Diminutivos y Aumentativos Cap 1: Los sufijos
Play Caption
While indicar is conjugated in accordace with the plural noun sufijos, it could alternatively be conjugated in accordance with the singular noun tipo:
Además, en la conjugación de los verbos,
Also, in the conjugation of verbs,
este tipo de sufijos nos indica.
these types of suffixes tell us.
Finally, it is worth noting that, in the cases of particular Spanish linking verbs like ser (to be), estar (to be), or parecer (to seem), the verb is nearly always conjugated in plural when followed by a subject complement (most simply defined as an "attribute"), as follows:
Este tipo de bicicletas están pensadas
This type of bicycle is planned
para desplazamientos cortos.
for short distances.
Captions 5-6, Raquel - Alquilar una bicicleta
Play Caption
To conclude, although we have focused on tipo de for the purpose of this lesson, other "partitive constructions" like el resto de (the rest of), la mayor parte de (most of), la mayoría de (most of), etc. function the same way.
We hope you've enjoyed this lesson, and don't forget to leave us your comments and suggestions.
The word lo can either be used as a neuter article, or as a pronoun. In this lesson we will focus on its use as an article.
Neuter articles are used to express abstract ideas or give extra emphasis to a certain adjective. As a neuter article, lo is the easiest of all the articles as there is only one form: lo. It can be placed in front of just about any adjective that expresses an abstraction or a quality (or extreme degree of quantity), something that's not a concrete object or person.
Here are some phrases that take lo before different types of adjectives:
lo bueno = "the good part, what's good"
lo fácil = "the easy part, what's easy"
lo mío = "(that which is) mine"
lo nuestro = "(that which is) ours"
Lo + adjective can be translated in English as "the" + adjective + the word "thing" or "part":
Y pues, es lo malo de vivir en un país así.
And well, it's the bad thing about living in a country like this.
Caption 68, Amigos D.F. - El secuestrar
Play Caption
Eso es lo bonito de la gastronomía.
That is the nice thing about gastronomy.
Caption 29, Cómetelo - Crema de brócoli
Play Caption
In fact, lo + adjective generates the syntactic equivalent of a noun phrase. That's why it's also common to translate it as "what is + adjective." In the previous examples, we would have:
Y pues, es lo malo de vivir en un país así / And well, it's what is bad about living in a country like this.
Eso es lo bonito de la gastronomía / That's what is nice about gastronomy.
The use of lo before a relative clause has a similar effect:
Hay gente que rectifica lo que dice
There are people who correct what they say
Caption 39, Calle 13 - No hay nadie como tú
Play Caption
Lucio, tengo que contarte que por lo que me adelantó Morena...
Lucio, I have to tell you that from what Morena told me in advance...
Caption 57, Yago - 7 Encuentros - Part 14
Play Caption
In fact, lo can often be taken to mean roughly la cosa or las cosas:
Hay gente que rectifica lo que dice. → There are people who correct what they say.
Hay gente que rectifica (las cosas) que dice. → There are people who correct (the things) they say.
...por lo que me adelantó Morena. → ...from what Morena told me.
...por (las cosas) que me adelantó Morena. → ...from (the things) that Morena told me.
By the way, lo can be used before a series of adjetives too:
Pero encontrar lo bueno, bonito y barato
But finding the good, [the] nice and [the] cheap
a veces es muy complicado.
is sometimes very complicated.
Captions 2-3, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
Play Caption
Of course, in order to help our subscribers with their learning process, we have made the translation here as parallel as possible. But you already know what would make a more natural translation, right?
→ But finding what's good, nice, and cheap is sometimes complicated.
→ But finding the good, nice, and cheap things is sometimes complicated.
There is yet one more use of lo as a neuter article and it's rather interesting. Lo is used to express the extreme degree or nature of a given concept or idea. Here it's best to review some examples:
¿Es que no eres todo lo feliz que desearías?
Is it that you are not as happy as you would like?
Caption 26, De consumidor a persona - Short Film
Play Caption
Sometimes this lo equates to using the word “how”:
Si supieras lo mucho que te amo
If you knew how much I love you
Caption 15, Ozomatli - Jardinero
Play Caption
Porque ves las gradas llenas, eh,
Because you see the packed bleachers, um,
la gente lo bien que se lo pasa con la música.
how much fun the people have with the music.
Captions 11-12, Los Juegos Olímpicos - Adrián Gavira
Play Caption
¿Pero cómo voy a perder mis maletas de vista
But how am I going to lose sight of my suitcases
con lo grandes que son?
with how big they are?
Captions 29-30, Raquel - Avisos de Megafonía
Play Caption
Read more about the use of the neuter gender here.
"¡Órale, arriba, epa, epa, arriba, ándale!"
Sound familiar? Yes, it's the fastest mouse in all Mexico -- Speedy Gonzales! -- and he stars in A.B. Quintanilla's music video. But instead of racing around rescuing people, Speedy is tending to a broken heart in this fun video. Listen in:
Él nunca le teme a nada pero esta vez sí lloró
He is never afraid of anything but this time he did cry
Captions 12-13, A. B. Quintanilla - Speedy Gonzalez
Play Caption
Poor Speedy! It takes a lot to make this brave mouse cry. In fact, Speedy's fans might not believe their fearless hero would actually shed tears, so the song adds an emphatic "sí" to get the point across. With "sí" placed in front of the verb "lloró", the sentence means "...he DID cry" (with the stress on the verb) or "... he did indeed cry." Believe it or not: He did.
As you know, "sí" with an accent over the "i" means "yes," as in the affirmative answer to a question. But "sí" is also widely used in Spanish to add emphasis to an assertion. In English, we make affirmations with "indeed," the auxiliary verb "do" and/or by stressing the verb.
Let's look at some examples to clarify.
Yo sí estoy trabajando en el proyecto final.
I AM working on the final project.
Carlos sí puede tocar la armónica.
Carlos can indeed play the harmonica.
A Nancy sí le gusta Miguel.
Nancy DOES like Miguel.
Note that the emphatic "sí" appears just before the verb in these affirmative statements in Spanish. In the English equivalents, we might stress the verb -- as indicated in all caps above.
For more examples of the emphatic sí at work, we turn to our friends in Mexico City. Yes, Amigos D.F. are back, talking about kidnappings. Listen in:
.. pues sí ha habido mucha inseguridad...
... well, there HAS been a lot of insecurity...
...O sea, como que sí hay interés de parte de las autoridades
... I mean, it's like there IS interest from the authorities
Yo sí tengo la esperanza que se reduzc'... se reduzcan este tipo de eventos, ¿no?
I DO have the hope that these kinds of events will be red'... will be reduced, right?
Caption 57, Amigos D.F. - El secuestrar
Play Caption
When you listen to native Spanish speakers make affirmations -- like the ones above -- note that there's no stress placed on the verbs themselves. It's a rookie mistake for Spanish students to say something like "Yo sí TENGO la esperanza..." when native speakers would simply let the "sí" make the emphasis for them.