My best friend here in Chile is Tatiana. She is originally from San Petersburg in Russia, and she has been great support all these years.
How about you? Do you have a best friend? How long have you known each other? Where did you first meet?
One of the reasons why Spanish is such a perfect language to learn is that it gives you lots of opportunities to make new friends. With 450 million native speakers, you will surely find someone you’ll get along with.
Today, I’d like to review with you some of the typical Spanish Friendship Words and Vocabulary. Friendship is a common topic to discuss, either in a Spanish class or in real life, so I hope you’ll find this post useful.
Let’s get started!
Basic Spanish Friendship Words
- 🇪🇸 un amigo / una amiga – 🇬🇧 a friend
- 🇪🇸 un conocido / una conocida – 🇬🇧 an acquaintance
- 🇪🇸 un compañero del colegio – 🇬🇧 a classmate
- 🇪🇸 un compañero de trabajo – 🇬🇧a workmate
- 🇪🇸 la amistad – 🇬🇧 friendship
- 🇪🇸 hacer amigos – 🇬🇧 to make friends
- 🇪🇸 una alma gemela – 🇬🇧 a soulmate
- 🇪🇸 un amigo con derechos – 🇬🇧 a friend with benefits
- 🇪🇸 llevarse bien – 🇬🇧 to get along
- 🇪🇸 conocerse en el trabajo – 🇬🇧 to meet at work
- 🇪🇸 conocerse toda la vida – 🇬🇧 to know each other the whole life
- 🇪🇸 conocerse desde hace años – 🇬🇧 to know each other for ages
Remember that Spanish, unlike English, recognizes two different noun genders. That’s why you will always have to remember to use the correct ending for the words “amigo,” “conocido,” and “compañero.”
The final “O” changes to “A” when you are talking about a woman.
Below, you’ll find a few ideas on how to use the vocabulary from the list in a context:
🇪🇸 Mi mejor amigo se llama Juan y es de Barcelona.
🇬🇧 My best friend’s name is Juan, and he is from Barcelona.
🇪🇸 En mi viaje a Cancún hice muchos amigos nuevos.
🇬🇧 I made many new friends during my trip to Cancún.
🇪🇸 Me llevo muy bien con mis compañeros de trabajo.
🇬🇧 I get along very well with my workmates.
🇪🇸 Pedro y yo nos conocemos toda la vida.
🇬🇧 Pedro and I have known each other our whole life.
🇪🇸 Conocí a Francisca en un curso de tango.
🇬🇧 I met Francisca at a tango course.
🇪🇸 Ella no es mi amiga; es solo una conocida.
🇬🇧 She is not my friend; she is only an acquaintance.
If you’d like to know some informal and slang words for “friend” in Spanish, check out my post on this topic.
Spanish Expressions to Describe a Good Friend
Having a true friend is one of the best gifts we can get in life.
What is it, actually, that we expect from a friend? What qualities do we look for?
- 🇪🇸 amable – 🇬🇧 kind
- 🇪🇸 leal – 🇬🇧 loyal
- 🇪🇸 considerado – 🇬🇧 considerate
- 🇪🇸 honesto / sincero – 🇬🇧 honest / heartfelt
- 🇪🇸 confiable – 🇬🇧 reliable, trustworthy
- 🇪🇸 simpático – 🇬🇧 friendly, likable
- 🇪🇸 divertido – 🇬🇧 fun
- 🇪🇸 auténtico – 🇬🇧 authentic
- 🇪🇸 respetuoso – 🇬🇧 respectful
Have you noticed that many words from the list look similar in both language versions? There are plenty of them in English and Spanish, which makes it such an easy language to learn.
Do you wonder how to use the adjectives above? Have a look at these examples:
🇪🇸 Pablo es un verdadero amigo: es amable y honesto, y uno siempre puede contar con él.
🇬🇧 Pablo is a true friend: he is kind and honest, and one can always count on him.
🇪🇸 Si quieres ser mi amigo, tienes que aprender a ser leal.
🇬🇧 If you want to be my friend, you have to learn to be loyal.
🇪🇸 Le cuento todos mis secretos a Paula. Ella es muy confiable y nunca me ha traicionado.
🇬🇧 I tell Paula all of my secrets. She is very trustworthy, and she has never betrayed me.
🇪🇸 Me gustaría tener un amigo como Pedro. Es tan divertido y simpático.
🇬🇧 I’d like to have a friend like Pedro. He is so fun and so likable.
🇪🇸 Gracias, Joaquín, por ser tan considerado. ¡Eres un tesoro!
🇬🇧 Thanks, Joaquín, for being so considerate. You are a treasure!
Exactly! A good friend is a treasure!
🇪🇸 Test Your Spanish Knowledge 🇪🇸
By the way, Spanish adjectives, just like nouns, have gender and number. Be very careful when switching from masculine to feminine and from the singular to the plural form.
What Do Good Friends Do?
Life without friends would be lonely and hard. No one to turn to, no shoulder to cry on, no one to cheer you up and tell you all will be fine.
Friends help us in so many ways, don’t they?
Here are some more Spanish Friendship Words and Vocabulary to describe everything friends do for us.
- 🇪🇸 ayudarse mutuamente – 🇬🇧 to help one another
- 🇪🇸 apoyarse mutuamente – 🇬🇧 to support one another
- 🇪🇸 cuidarse mutuamente – 🇬🇧 to take care of one another
- 🇪🇸 aconsejar – 🇬🇧 to give advice
- 🇪🇸 tenerle la espalda a alguien – 🇬🇧 to have someone’s back
- 🇪🇸 saber escuchar – 🇬🇧 to be a good listener
- 🇪🇸 compartir intereses – 🇬🇧 to share interests
- 🇪🇸 respetar límites – 🇬🇧 to respect boundaries
- 🇪🇸 contar con alguien – 🇬🇧 to count on someone
- 🇪🇸 dar espacio – 🇬🇧 to give space
- 🇪🇸 no tratar de ser más que un amigo – 🇬🇧 don’t try to get out of the friendzone
🇪🇸 Con Carlos siempre nos apoyamos mutuamente.
🇬🇧 Carlos and I always support one another.
🇪🇸 No te preocupes, amiga. Sabes que siempre te tendré la espalda.
🇬🇧 Don’t worry, girl. You know I’ll always have your back.
🇪🇸 Él sabe que puede contar conmigo para lo que sea.
🇬🇧 He knows he can count on me for anything he needs.
🇪🇸 Carlita, por favor, tienes que darme un poco más de espacio. Eres demasiado posesiva.
🇬🇧 Carlita, please, you have to give me some more space. You’re too possessive.
🇪🇸 Roberto y yo ya no somos amigos. Intentó que fuéramos más que amigos, pero yo no lo quiero de esta manera.
🇬🇧 Roberto and I are not friends anymore. He tried to get out of the friendzone, but I don’t like him like that.
Sorry, Roberto. Sometimes friendship is a natural first step to love, and sometimes it isn’t.
What Do Friends Do When They Are Together?
I try to get together with my friend Tatiana at least once a week for a quick bite or a glass of wine. It helps me to stay sane, de-stress and have a good laugh.
What do YOU do when you get together with your friends?
- 🇪🇸 juntarse – 🇬🇧 to get together
- 🇪🇸 pasarla bien – 🇬🇧 have a good time
- 🇪🇸 divertirse – 🇬🇧 have fun
- 🇪🇸 salir – 🇬🇧 to go out
- 🇪🇸 ponerse al día – 🇬🇧 to catch up
- 🇪🇸 chismear / copuchar – 🇬🇧 to gossip
- 🇪🇸 escuchar uno al otro – 🇬🇧 to listen to each other
- 🇪🇸 compartir – 🇬🇧 share
🇪🇸 ¿Vamos a la fiesta de cumpleaños de Carla? Todos nuestros amigos estarán allá y la vamos a pasar muy bien.
🇬🇧 Let’s go to Carla’s birthday party! All of our friends will be there, and we will have such a good time.
🇪🇸 Lo siento, pero prefiero no salir hoy. Tengo un problema y me gustaría que me aconsejes.
🇬🇧 Sorry, I’d rather not go out today. I have a problem, and I’d like you to give me your advice.
🇪🇸 Carla, ¡qué bueno verte! Tomémonos un café y pongámonos al día.
🇬🇧 Carla, great to see you! Let’s have a coffee and catch up.
🇪🇸 ¿No trajiste tu almuerzo? Tranquilo, te comparto el mío.
🇬🇧 So you didn’t bring your lunch? No worries, I’ll share mine with you.
🇪🇸 Las mujeres necesitan juntarse de vez en cuando, charlar y chismear.
🇬🇧 Women need to get together once in a while to chat and gossip.
