sé mi amigo
/se mi amiɡo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "be my friend" is said as sé mi amigo.
This phrase is a request asking someone to enter into a friendship with the speaker.
What does it mean word for word?
Sé is the imperative (command) form of the verb ser (to be), mi means "my" and amigo means "friend".
Which one should you use?
The phrase sé mi amigo uses the informal tú command form, which is appropriate for children or peers, whereas a formal request would use sea mi amigo.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the person being asked is female, you must use the feminine form amiga instead of amigo.
How do you pronounce it?
/se mi amiɡo/
Did you know?
- The word amigo is used in the common Spanish idiom amigo de lo ajeno, which actually refers to a thief.
- In some Latin American countries, the term compadre represents a friendship even deeper than amigo, often implying a familial bond through godparenting.
- The word amigo is actually a distant relative of the English word 'amorous', as both trace back to the idea of loving or affection.
Examples in context
- Quédate aquí conmigo y sé mi amigo, y vamos a jugar deliciosas partidas juntos, y todos los días vamos a ir a recoger fresas.Stay here with me and be my friend, and we will play delightful games together, and every day we will go and gather strawberries.This sentence shows how to use sé mi amigo in a friendly context involving play and gathering fruit.Tatoeba #4600187 by DarkHollow, translation #4597400 by Hybrid
Example conversation
Two children meet at a park.
- MaríaHola, me llamo María. Á sé mi amigo.Hi, my name is María. Be my friend.
- MateoHola, María. Yo soy Mateo.Hi, María. I am Mateo.
- María¿Quieres jugar con la pelota?Do you want to play with the ball?
- Mateo¡Sí! Me gustaría mucho!Yes! I would really like to!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amigo, mi, sé, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
