This article is part of the series Top 5 Spanish Slang Words Searched on Google where we feature a full list examples for:
1. Spanish slang for friend
2. Spanish slang for weed
3. Spanish slang for white person
4. Spanish slang for cool
5. Spanish slang for girl
Spanish slang for friend is the first suggestion that Google gives you when you type in the phrase “Spanish slang for” in the search box. So, let me tell you that there are a lot of words. For example, the Diccionario de Americanismos lists 140 terms! I did my research using all the resources of my Spanish slang library and here is a list of a good amount of Spanish words used in Latin America to refer to a close friend or dude. All in one place!
Amigo is the common generic translation for friend in Spanish and from that word you can get some variations such as amigazo, amigocho (Mexico), amigui (Chile) and amigucho. But if you want to blend with locals, you should consider some words from this list:
53 Examples of Spanish Slang for Friend
1. acere: Cuba
2. alero: This is the Spanish word for “eaves,” but can mean friend in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
3. bonco: It is used in Cuba to refer to a close friend or also attractive men
4. bróder or brother: Venezuela, Peru, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic and Ecuador use the Spanish adaption bróder, but Puerto Rico and Bolivia use the English “brother” according to the Diccionario de Americanismos.
5. broster: from the word “brother” in Peru
6. buey: This is the Spanish for “ox,” but also means friend in Mexico and Nicaragua.
7. cabro: Costa Rica
8. cabrón: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.
9. carnal: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Argentina and Venezuela.
10. causa: Peru
11. chamo: Venezuela
12. chero: Honduras and El Salvador
13. choche or chochera: Peru
14. chómpiras: Mexico
15. cobio: Cuba
16. collera: a group of close friends in Peru
17. compa: It is a contraction from compañero and it is used in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Argentina and Costa Rica.
18. coño de madre: Venezuela
19. consorte: Cuba, Puerto Rico
20. cuaderno: Mexico
21. cuadro: Colombia
22. cuate: I though that this was a Mexican only word, but it surprised me that it is also used in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Bolivia and Paraguay according to the Diccionario de Americanismos.
23. cúmbila: Cuba
24. diablo: used in Venezuela (among gangs)
25. ecobio: Cuba
26. el mío: Venezuela
27. fren: Panama. From the English “friend.”
28. gallada: Peru, Colombia
29. gancho: This word means “hook” in Spanish, but it is used in Chile as “friend” or “buddy.”
30. gauche: Venezuela
31. gomía: This word is formed by changing the syllable order of “amigo” in Argentina.
32. güey: In Mexico used as a noun is “friend,” but it also can be used as an interjection to express surprise
33. hermano or hermana: This one is used almost in all Latin America: Guatemala, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Honduras, Nicaragua, Chile and less used in Costa Rica.
34. llave, llavería or llavero: Colombia
35. llave: Dominican Republic, Venezuela and North of Colombia
36. mae: Costa Rica
37. manito: Nicaragua and Dominican Republic, Mexico
38. mano: Guatemala, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Panama.
39. ñaño or ñaña: Peru and Northwest of Argentina
40. ñero or ñera: It is short for compañero or compañera and is used in Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela and Colombia (North and Southwest)
41. pana fuerte: Puerto Rico
42. pana: Mexico, Panama, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia (West), Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
43. panadería: Venezuela
44. panaful: Dominican Republic
45. panita: Puerto Rico and Ecuador
46. parce: Colombia
47. parcero: Colombia and Ecuador
48. pasiero: Panama
49. pata: Cuba, Peru, Boliva (Souhwest) and Chile
50. primo: Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rica and Eastern Boliva
51. vale: North of Colombia and Venezuela
52. won: from the word “huevón” in Peru.
53. yunta: Nicaragua, Cuba, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela and Peru
There are plenty of more words, but I think this list will give you a good taste from all over Latin America. If you want to know more Spanish slang for friend check the Speaking Latino online dictionary here.
In the next posts of this series The Top 5 Spanish Slang Words Searched on Google I will give you the list for weed, white person, cool and girl.
Check out these other Spanish Slang Word articles.
