Meaning & use
Spanish pen pal
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person, usually in a Spanish-speaking country, who exchanges letters or messages with you so you can both practice each other's language.
Grammar: Countable: say a Spanish pen pal, two Spanish pen pals.
Patterns
- have a Spanish pen pal
- write to a Spanish pen pal
- a Spanish pen pal in something
My teacher paired me with a Spanish pen pal in Valencia, and we write once a week.
She found a Spanish pen pal online who wants to improve her English.
Having a Spanish pen pal made the grammar feel real instead of just rules in a book.
nouncountable
A friend you know only through letters or messages, whose first language is Spanish, without any language-practice purpose.
Grammar: Countable; often used with the verb be to describe the relationship: She is my Spanish pen pal.
Patterns
- be someone's Spanish pen pal
- an old Spanish pen pal
He is my Spanish pen pal from Madrid; we have never met in person.
After ten years, her Spanish pen pal feels like part of the family.
Word forms
| plural | Spanish pen pals |
|---|---|
| British spelling | Spanish penfriend |
Common combinations
- write to a Spanish pen pal
- I write to my Spanish pen pal every Sunday evening.
- exchange letters with a Spanish pen pal
- The class exchanges letters with Spanish pen pals in Seville.
- find a Spanish pen pal
- There are websites where you can find a Spanish pen pal for free.
- a Spanish pen pal abroad
- Living abroad, she kept a Spanish pen pal from her university days.
- get a Spanish pen pal
- Our school helped us get Spanish pen pals for the term.
Synonyms and how they differ
- penfriend
- The usual British word for the same idea, and it is not limited to Spanish speakers.
- correspondent
- More formal and often used for someone who writes regularly, such as a newspaper reporter, rather than a friendly letter-writer.
- language partner
- Fits better when the point is speaking practice in person or online, not exchanging letters.
Word family
- pen pal noun
- The general term for a friend you know mainly through letters.
- penmanship noun
- The skill or style of writing by hand.
- Spanish adjective
- Relating to Spain, its people, or its language.
Commonly confused: Spanish pen pal or Spanish pen friend?
Spanish pen pal vs Spanish pen friend
This is not wrong, but penfriend is written as one word in British English; American English strongly prefers pen pal.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
We write to a person, so 'write to my Spanish pen pal' is correct. Option 2 puts the preposition in the wrong place, and option 3 changes the meaning to writing on someone's behalf.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Spanish pen pal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.