Palabra Lexi · common words in Spanish

How to say "friend" in Spanish

"Friend" in Spanish is amigo, pronounced ah-MEE-goh (stress on the syllable in capitals). It is a masculine noun (el amigo, plural los amigos). Also: amiga, a female friend.

Pronunciation is spelled out in English, one syllable at a time, with the stressed syllable in capitals. The speaker button uses your browser's built-in Spanish voice. Gender and plural: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

How to pronounce amigo

Amigo is pronounced ah-MEE-goh, in IPA /aˈmiɡo/. Amigo has three syllables, ah-MEE-goh, with the stress on the second. There is no written accent because the word follows the basic rule: words ending in a vowel, -n or -s are stressed on the second-to-last syllable.

Listen: normal and slow speed, in your browser's Spanish voice. IPA: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Is amigo masculine or feminine?

Amigo is masculine, so it takes el (the) and un (a): el amigo. The plural is los amigos. That fits the usual pattern: most nouns ending in -o are masculine.

Example sentences

Es mi mejor amigo
he's my best friend

Él es mi amigo
He is my friend

Invito a mis amigos.
I invite my friends.

"Friend" in Spain and Latin America

Regional words and roots: Diccionario de la lengua española (RAE). Spanish varies by region, so treat these as the most common patterns, not strict rules.

How to remember amigo

amigo [ah-MEE-goh] sounds like the English “a me go”. Picture this:

Your friend shouts «a-me-go first!» and pulls you onto the rollercoaster seat beside him.

A sound-alike plus a vivid scene is the keyword method, a well-studied way to learn vocabulary. How it works.

Practice amigo

Two quick games, right here: no sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere.

Other ways to say "friend" in Spanish

Word web: amigo

Words that live next to amigo in the Palabra word web, each with its own English sound-alike and scene. Learning them together makes each one easier to recall.