12 Different Ways To Say Friend In Spanish

Looking for a synonym to say friend in Spanish?

Although we’ve all heard of “amigo,” from our Spanish courses and favorite YouTube channels, there are various other ways to say it.

You may be looking to make new friends or want to reach out to new acquaintances.

But how do you label your friendship?

If you don’t know which word to use, check out the list of Spanish words for “friend” listed below.

How to say “friend” in Spanish

Now consider these four words you can choose to say “friend” in Spanish.

Each of these words is appropriate for different people, i.e., some are ideal for female friendships, and some are ideal for male friendships.

1. Una amistad

Use una amistad when you want to describe a “friendship.”

This is a descriptive noun that refers to the relationship between two friends.

It’s also a noun that uses a feminine article but which you can use to describe friendships between males and females.

Usage example:

Tenemos una amistad. Somos buenas amigas.

We have a friendship. We're good friends.

2. El amigo

El amigo, or un amigo is a word you can use to refer to a male friend in Spanish.

How can you tell you should use it for a male friend?

It uses the masculine article el. Amigo means “friend” in English.

It has a feminine equivalent, which you’ll find just below.

Usage example:

Mi amigo de tres años se va a Inglaterra.

My friend of three years is going to England.

3. La amiga

La amiga, or una amiga is a word you can use when referring to a female friend in Spanish.

The best way to tell that this phrase is used for female friends is to remember that it uses the feminine article la.

Amiga means “friend” just as amigo does, but don’t use it if you’re talking about a male friend.

Usage example:

Mi amiga habla muchísima. Yo también.

My friend speaks a lot. Me too.

4. Los amigos

This phrase, los amigos or unos amigos is a plural phrase you can use when referring to a group of friends.

You can notice this phrase uses the plural article los, which is how you can tell it’s a plural phrase to refer to more than one friend in Spanish. You may even hear the phrase mis amigos, which means “my friends” in English.

In the case of mis amigos, this is also a pluralized version of the phrase mi amigo.

The pronoun mi must be pluralized if referring to various friends in a group, as must the word amigo.

We simply add an -s to the end of these words giving us mis amigos.

Usage example:

Algunos amigos de Madrid vienen a Santiago de Compostela.

Some friends from Madrid are coming to Santiago de Compostela.

5. Una camarada

Una camarada translates to English as “a comrade.”

This phrase can mean friend or buddy and is usually used in Mexican Spanish, but it can have other meanings too.

It’s quite a strong word that emphasizes that your friend has similar beliefs to you or accompanies you. It also has connotations of trust.

If you describe someone as un camarada, you trust them entirely or have confidence in them.

Usage example:

Eres un camarada de verdad.

You're a true comrade.

Descriptive modifiers to describe friendships using the word amigo or amiga

In this section, we’ll take a quick look at three descriptive modifiers you can use to describe your relationship with an amigo or amiga in Spanish.

If you want to put a little spark into your descriptive labels, check out how you can modify the word amigo with the examples below.

1. Mejor amigo

There are some variations of the Spanish word el amigo.

If you want to emphasize your friendship, add the modifying adjective mejor, which means “best,” to the beginning of the phrase.

This modification will give you the phrase major amigo, which means “best friend.”

Use mejor amigo (with an -o) to describe your relationship with a male best friend.

You can also use the phrase mejor amiga if you want to describe the relationship you share with a female best friend in Spanish, or pluralize the phrase to give you mejores amigos when referring to several “best friends.”

Usage example:

¿Sabes que? Eres mi mejor amigo. Estaré a tu lado cuando te cases.

Did you know? You're my best friend. I'll be at your side when you get married.

2. Querido amigo

Another variation of amigo is querido amigo.

The querido means “dear” and is a modifying adjective you can add to the beginning of the phrase to give you “dear friend.”

This phrase is good for describing a relationship you share with a childhood friend with whom you still keep in contact in adulthood.

Again, you can use the feminine equivalent querida amiga to describe the relationship you share with a female friend in Spanish, or you can choose to pluralize the phrase to refer to various dear friends, using queridos amigos, or queridas amigas (for male friends and female friends, respectively).

Usage example:

Hablé con un querido amigo anoche. Su abuela está malita.

I spoke with a dear friend last night. His grandmother is ill.

3. Un buen amigo

Adding the adjective buen to the phrase amigo is another way to modify the description you use to say friend in Spanish.

Buen means “good” in Spanish and complements the masculine noun amigo.

In Spanish, you can use the feminine equivalent buena to describe a female friend. Simply use the phrase una buena amiga.

You’ve got the option of pluralizing buen amigo or buena amiga as well.

Simply add an -os to the modifier buen, and an -s to buena to give you buenos amigos and buenas amigas.

Usage example:

Llevo un año sin hablar con mi buen amigo. A ver como está.

I haven't spoken to my good friend in a year. Let's see how he is.

Phrases to describe friendships that have multiple connotations

Some phrases have different connotations that can describe different friendships.

You may have work friends or friends of friends.

To describe relationships like these, consider the five phrases below.

1. El compañero

El compañero has a few meanings in Spanish.

El compañero can mean “the partner” or “companion.” It can also mean “buddy” or “friend.”

The first translation you get when you use a translator is “co-worker,” but this only scratches the surface.

Pluralization is possible with this phrase.

Pluralize both the masculine article and the word compañero, and use the phrase los compañeros to describe several friends.

This phrase is also commonly heard when referring to classmates.

Usage example:

Dice que estará un nuevo compañero estudiando aquí.

He says that a new classmate will be studying here.

2. La compañera

La compañera or una compañera is the feminine equivalent of el compañero.

It takes on similar meanings to the word el compañero, referring to a person who studies or works with you and shares your space.

It can also refer to a person with whom you have a sentimental relationship before getting married.

Usage example:

La compañera estaba a punto de suspender, pero al final, aprobó.

The classmate was about to fail, but in the end, she passed.

3. Un conocido

Un conocido refers to someone you know but don’t know very well.

In other words, use un conocido to refer to an acquaintance. You may hear Spanish speakers talking about un conocido mutuo.

This phrase refers to someone both speakers know.

It’s a phrase that translates to English as “a mutual acquaintance.”

Usage example:

Tenemos un conocido mutuo. ¿Sabes de quien estoy hablando?

We have a mutual acquaintance. Do you know who I'm talking about?

4. Una conocida

Una conocida is the feminine equivalent of un conocido.

You can use this word to refer to a female you know but may not know very well. Like un conocido, una conocida can mean “an acquaintance,” where the acquaintance is female.

It can also be used in the phrase una conocida mutual, meaning “a mutual (female) acquaintance.”

Usage example:

Una conocida está enfadada. ¿Hiciste algo malo?

An acquaintance is angry. Did you do something wrong?

Why learn how to understand various words that mean friend in Spanish

Understanding synonyms that mean “friend” in Spanish can widen your vocabulary and help you navigate the social relationships you build when living in a Spanish-speaking country.

For example, suppose you’re out having a coffee with a friend and they mention their mejor amiga is also joining you.

In this case, you’ll immediately understand their friendship’s strength without asking too many questions.

Grammatical rules to consider when saying “friend” in Spanish

When you describe someone as your friend in Spanish, remember that the word you choose should be modified correctly.

By this, I mean that if you’re talking about a female friend, you should use a feminine article and a feminine suffix for the word you choose. If you’re talking about a male friend, you should use a masculine article and a masculine suffix.

In some situations, you may want to refer to more than one friend in Spanish. In these cases, pluralize the article and your chosen word.

You’ll see how to do this in the example I’ve listed above for los amigos.

Use these phrases to say “friend” in Spanish

Now you’ve got all these phrases, what’s your next step?

You can now use them in your conversations with friends and family. Continue to use these phrases to remember them more easily and build friendships with ease.

Go confidently into any friendship and proudly tell your friends that they are amigos de verdad.

Are there any other ways to say friend in Spanish?

Share them with us in the comments!

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