amigo

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableinformal

   A friend, used as a friendly, casual word borrowed from Spanish.

   Grammar: Plural is amigos; it can also be used to address someone directly.

   Patterns

   • my amigo
   • hey, amigo

   He slapped his old amigo on the back and invited him in.

   Thanks for the ride, amigo.

   My amigos and I are driving to the coast this weekend.

2. 2nouncountableinformal

   A friendly or sometimes joking way of addressing a man, even a stranger.

   Grammar: Tone depends on the speaker: friendly among friends, but it can sound patronizing from a stranger.

   Patterns

   • Listen, amigo

   Take it easy, amigo, there is plenty of time.

   The shopkeeper grinned and said, "Good choice, amigo."

Word forms

Common combinations

my amigo

This is my amigo Carlos from college.

old amigo

I ran into an old amigo at the airport.

hey amigo

Hey amigo, long time no see!

good amigo

He is a good amigo who always shows up.

amigos for life

We met in first grade and have been amigos for life.

Synonyms and how they differ

buddy

Buddy is a native English casual word for a friend, with no hint of Spanish flavor.

pal

Pal is informal and slightly old-fashioned, while amigo gives a sunnier, more playful tone.

friend

Friend is neutral and works in every setting, unlike amigo, which is casual only.

mate

Mate is common in British and Australian English, whereas amigo is more American.

Opposites

Word family

amigos noun

plural form

amiga noun

the Spanish feminine form, a female friend

amicable adjective

friendly, from the same Latin root

amity noun

friendship, especially between countries

Commonly confused: amigo or amiga?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “amigo”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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