Did you know that there are over 100+ ways to say friend in Spanish?
That’s a whole lot of compadres (good friends)!
Let’s take a quick look at my favorite 45 Spanish slang words to get you started on referring to your amigos (friends), from A to Z.
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Where it’s used: Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala
Although alero literally means roof eaves, it’s most commonly used in these three countries to refer to a buddy or good friend, depending on the context.
Rodolfo es un buen alero.
(Rodolfo is a good friend.)
Where it’s used: Latin America
Similar to amigo (friend), the word amigazo is also an informal reference to a buddy, pal or close friend.
However, you wouldn’t want to use this word in Chile, where it normally means bad company.
Antonio, sos un amigazo.
(Antonio, you’re a great friend.)
Where it’s used: Cuba
Originating from the African-Efik language, this is the most popular word used in Cuba to refer to a friend or buddy. It’s also used by men to refer to other men.
Asere, ¿qué bolá?
(What’s up, buddy?)
Where it’s used: Argentina
Even though the word boludo (idiot) or (jerk) and it’s shorter forms, bolú/bolu, can have different meanings, it’s quite often used when you want to get your friend’s attention.
It should also be noted that this word can have negative connotations and should only be used in context with your closest friends.
¡Qué quilombo, boludo!
(What a mess, dude!)
Where it’s used: Latin America
American English has had a significant influence on the way people speak Spanish slang in Latin America.
Great examples are the words bro/bróder (bro), which we’ve accepted as our own.
¿Qué pasó, bróder?
(What’s up, bro?)
Where it’s used: Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, Spain, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador
The word cabrón (bastard) is wildly popular among Spanish learners because it’s harshly used to describe an as*hole or bastard.
Though, in several Spanish-speaking countries, it’s absolutely normal to refer to this word when referencing your buddy.
The short form cabro (goat) is mainly used in Chile and Costa Rica.
¿Qué pasa, cabrón? ¿Cómo te trata la vida?
(What’s up, buddy? How’s life treating you?)
Where it’s used: The Dominican Republic
The word cachanchán roughly translates to toady or subordinate in Spanish, and that’s exactly how they use it in Cuba.
However, if you go to the Dominican Republic, a cachanchán (or, rather, canchanchán, as they pronounce it) refers to a good friend.
Ahí viene mi canchanchán, Peralta.
(Here comes my good friend, Peralta.)
Where it’s used: Latin America and Spain
The word camarada (comrade) can be used practically in every Spanish-speaking country to refer to your friends and pals informally.
¿Qué hubo, camarada?
(What’s up, pal?)
Where it’s used: Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua
Carnal comes from the word carne (meat, flesh), and it’s used to refer to very close friends.
The word carnal can also be used with family members (the expression “flesh of my flesh” comes to mind), so a carnal is someone you’d consider family.
Sos mi carnal, Mario.
(You’re family, Mario.)
Where it’s used: Peru
There are two main theories as to where the word causa, with the casual meaning of friend or buddy, comes from.
On the one hand, causa formally translates to lawsuit, which would explain why in some parts of Peru this word also refers to thieves.
On the other hand, some people think it comes from the English word cousin.
Whatever the case, causa is very commonly used to refer to your buddy or friend, so make sure you use it if you ever meet a Peruvian!
¡Habla, causa!
(Hi there, buddy!)
Where it’s used: Venezuela
Venezuelans use chamo when talking about children and teenagers, but they also use this word to refer to their buddies.
¿Qué hubo, chamo?
(What’s up, buddy?)
Where it’s used: Argentina
There are very few words more Argentinian than the word che.
You can use it to refer to your closest friends, your buddies and your colleagues.
This multipurpose word is so Argentinian that it means Argentinian person in countries such as Mexico and Chile.
Hey, che. ¿Qué hacés acá?
(Hey, buddy. What are you doing here?)
Where it’s used: El Salvador and Honduras
Chero comes from the French word cher (dear, beloved), and it’s used to refer to your close friends.
Siempre la paso bien con mis cheros.
(I always have fun with my friends.)
Where it’s used: Peru
The words Chochera (chauffeur or witchcraft), and its short form choche (car or driver), as you can see, can have two very different meanings.
How that word came to mean friend in Peruvian Spanish is something I can’t understand, but it does.
Pedrito es mi choche desde que teníamos seis años.
(Pedrito has been my friend since we were six.)
Where it’s used: Cuba
There’s not much information available about this word, but all sources agree that it means partner/associate and it’s used on the island to refer to your friends.
¿Qué bolá, cobio?
(How are you doing, friend?)
Where it’s used: Spain
By definition, a colega is a classmate or colleague, but it’s informally used to refer to your buddy.
Vamos a tomarnos una copas con mi colega, Paco.
(Let’s go have some drinks with my buddy, Paco.)
Where it’s used: Latin America (very common in Mexico)
Compadre describes the relationship between someone’s father and godfather (a literal translation from Latin could be co-father.)
However, native Mexican speakers use this word to refer to their best mates or good friends.
¿Qué onda, compadre? ¿Por qué tan triste?
(What’s up, mate? Why so sad?)
Where it’s used: Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Argentina, Costa Rica and Honduras
Every native Spanish speaker will understand the word compañero or any of its short forms.
It officially translates to (partner or companion), but it can also be used to refer to your pals/buddies, as well.
If you’re in Spain though, avoid using the longer and shorter forms, since they can be taken out of context in some regions.
Mi cõmpanero Luis está por llegar.
(My buddy Luis is about to arrive.)
Where it’s used: Latin America and Spain
The word compinche translates, and is used informally, to refer to your pals or buddies.
¿Qué pasó, compinche?
(What’s up, buddy?)
Where it’s used: Mexico
If someone from Mexico tells you they’re meeting their cuadernos (notebooks) in the evening, don’t think they’ve gone crazy. Cuaderno is actually a very popular way to refer to a friend in the country.
Juan y Marco son mis cuadernos.
(Juan and Marco are my friends.)
Where it’s used: Colombia
Many people in the world have cuadros (tables), but only Colombians will call their bros, buddies and friends the same word.
¿Quiubo, cuadro?
(What’s up, bro?)
Where it’s used: Mexico, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Bolivia and Venezuela
Cuate quite literally translates to buddy or dude.
However, it can also be used to refer to people you don’t know or are just acquaintances.
Vendrá con un cuate mañana.
(He’ll come with a buddy tomorrow.)
Where it’s used: Cuba
Cúmbila is another Cuban word of African origin.
It comes from the term camba (friend), and it’s used to refer to your buddies.
Gracias, cúmbila.
(Thanks, buddy.)
Where it’s used: Panama
The word fren is almost exclusively used in Panama, and it means—you’ve guessed it—friend.
Es mi fren desde 2015.
(She’s been my friend since 2015.)
Where it’s used: Argentina
Gomía is an anagram that results from transposing the word amigo.
Not surprisingly, it’s another word you can use casually to refer to your friends.
¡Ese es mi gomía!
(That’s my man!)
Where it’s used: Mexico
Thanks to Mexican TV shows and telenovelas, every Spanish speaker knows the word güey, and now you do, too!
It originally comes from the word buey (ox), so it’s no surprise it can also be used with the meaning of silly or clumsy.
Additionally, it can be used to refer to anyone you don’t know very well (similar to the English word dude) and even to a friend, depending on the context.
¡Órale, güey!
(Come on, dude!)
Where it’s used: Chile and Peru (less frequently in Venezuela)
The word huevón and all its different forms—weón/weon/won/güevón/güebón—literally translates to big egg.
Informally, it can be used to describe someone who is lazy, a moron or stupid, but it can also be used jokingly to refer to your buddies. It also has a meaning very close to the English dude or guy.
Hola, huevón. ¿Cómo estái?
(Hey, buddy. How are you?)
Where it’s used: Latin América and Spain
The word íntimo is an adjective that means intimate/close.
Íntimo normally appears in the collocation amigo íntimo (close friend).
This collocation is often reduced to just the adjective, which is used to refer to your closest friends.
Antonio es mi íntimo, mi hermano.
(Antonio is my close friend, my brother.)
Where it’s used: Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Llave quite literally translates to key in Spanish. Yes, the thing you use to open doors.
It’s said that if someone calls you their llave, they’ve opened themselves to you and accepted you as their friend.
Todo bien, mi llave.
(No problem, my friend.)
Where it’s used: Costa Rica
The word mae is to Costa Rica as güey is to Mexico.
In other words, you can use mae to refer to friends, buddies and people you don’t even know. Context is key!
¿Cómo estás, mae?
(How you doin’, bud?)
Where it’s used: Latin America
The words mano (hand) and manito (little hand) are the shortened forms of the word hermano (brother).
They’re used to casually and informally describe a friend or bro.
Even though you’ll hear these words all throughout Latin America, the forms mano and manito are especially common in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic and Panama.
¿Qué hubo, manito?
(What’s up, bro?)
Where it’s used: Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and some parts of Argentina
By definition, this word means year.
However, it’s also used to define a close friend in some countries, similar to the context and usage of the word bróder (bro).
¿Qué tal, ñaño?
(What’s up, bro?)
Where it’s used: Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Honduras and Nicaragua
There are several theories about the origin of the word pana (corduroy), but the one I like the most is that it comes from the indigenous word panaca (family).
For this reason, the word pana is normally only used with your deepest and closest soul friends.
Juanito, sos mi pana del alma.
(Juanito, you’re my soul mate.)
Where it’s used: Venezuela
In Venezuela, a panadería (bakery) isn’t only a place where you can buy bread and pastries. It’s also a place where you can meet your friends for a coffee or a piece of cake.
Because of this, it started to become a slang term for friends/friendship in the ’50s, and it’s kept its meaning until today.
¡Gracias a toda mi panadería!
(Thanks to all my friends!)
Where it’s used: Colombia and Ecuador
The words parcero (landlord) and parce come from the Portuguese word parceiro (partner).
It’s normally used to refer to your friends and acquaintances, but it can also be used to talk about people from the same region/country (compatriot/fellow countryman).
¿Quiubo, parce?
(What’s up, friend?)
Where it’s used: Bolivia, Cuba, Peru and Chile
The definition of a pata oddly translates to leg and paw, but in these four countries, it refers to a close friend or a buddy, depending on the context.
Carola es mi pata del alma.
(Carola is my best friend/my soul mate).
Where it’s used: Colombia
You probably know pez means fish in Spanish.
However, in Colombia, people use this word to refer to their friends and buddies informally (especially if they don’t know their name).
¿Todo bien, mi pez?
(Is everything alright, buddy?)
Where it’s used: Uruguay (less frequently in Argentina and Paraguay)
Even though this word can be used in some countries to refer to kids, people in Uruguay also use it to refer to their friends.
Vamos a festejar con mi pibes.
(Let’s celebrate with my friends.)
Where it’s used: Mexico, Venezuela (West), the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica
Primo means cousin in Spanish. By calling someone your primo, you’re letting them know they’re your dearest friend, and part of your family.
¿Cómo ‘tá la cosa, primo?
(How’s everything going, dear friend?)
Where it’s used: Peru and Colombia (less frequently in Cuba, Ecuador and Argentina)
The word socio refers to a partner or business associate, but it’s also used to refer to your close friends in countries like Peru and Colombia.
Hola, socio. ¿Cómo estás?
(Hey, friend. How are you?)
Where it’s used: Spain
Tío translates to (uncle) in Spanish, but if you go to Spain, you’ll mainly hear this word when people are referring to their mates.
It can also be used to refer to a guy in general, just like Mexico’s güey.
Mi tío no sabe de lo que habla.
(My mate doesn’t know what he’s talking about.)
Where it’s used: Spain
A tronco is a tree trunk and tron is a log. But in Spain, it refers to a very good friend.
It’s often incorrectly associated with lower-class people, but all youngsters use it.
It can also be used to refer to your boyfriend/girlfriend, but some people may tell you it sounds a bit distasteful, so avoid using it in this context if you can.
Mi tronca está de camino.
(My good friend is on her way.)
Where it’s used: Colombia and Venezuela
Simply put, a valedor is a person that is worthy.
It’s possible that because of this reason, a friend is referred to as a valedor(es) or vale(s) in these two countries.
Mi valedor, ¿cómo estás?
(My friend, how are you?)
Where it’s used: Costa Rica, Argentina
The word viejo (old), can also be an informal way to refer to someone’s dad.
It can also mean bro or friend in Costa Rica and some parts of Argentina. But practically every native Spanish speaker will understand you’re referring to a friend if you use it anywhere else.
Viejo, no hables paja.
(Bro, don’t talk nonsense.)
Where it’s used: Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Peru, Chile and Bolivia
The word yunta is translated into English as yoke and/or team, but in South America it’s used to refer to a trusted friend.
Ana es mi yunta.
(Ana is my trusted friend.)
So, there you have it, my top list of 45 slang words to call your friends in Spanish.
They’re not used in every Spanish-speaking country, but now you know how to refer to all your amigos (friends) based on the country you have your heart after.
Stay curious, cheros (friends), and as always, happy Spanish learning!
