amigo
neutral
A friendly way to say "buddy" in Argentina is amigo. Among friends people also use che and loco to call out to someone.
Meaning: friendly term for a close friend (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| amigo | neutral |
| che | casual, Argentina |
| loco | casual, Argentina |
Amigo works in many situations, even with someone you just met, as in Gracias, amigo. Che is more typical of Argentina and is used to get attention.
What mistakes should you avoid?
If someone says Che, amigo in a sharp voice it can sound impatient. Tone matters as much as the word.
Did you know?
- The Argentine vos forms such as sos, andás and sentate are a mark of the way people speak across the country.
Examples in context
- Gracias, amigo, sos muy amable.Thanks, buddy, you are very kind.
- Che, ¿me prestás un lapicera?Hey buddy, can you lend me a pen?
Example conversation
Hernán meets his old friend Gabriel outside a café in Buenos Aires.
- Hernán¡Gabriel! ¿Cómo andás, amigo?Gabriel! How are you doing, buddy?
- GabrielBien, che. ¡Cuánto tiempo!Good, man. It has been a long time!
- HernánVení, sentate un rato.Come, sit down for a while.
