¿puedo ir a la casa de mi amigo?
The English phrase "can I go to my friend's house?" is translated into Spanish as ¿puedo ir a la casa de mi amigo?
This phrase is used to request permission to visit a friend's home. You can use the verb poder (to be able to/can) to ask if it is possible for you to go, or use the verb dejar (to let/allow) by saying ¿me dejas ir a la casa de mi amigo? to ask someone to grant you permission.
Which one should you use?
While ¿puedo ir a la casa de mi amigo? is grammatically correct, it is very common and often more natural in many Spanish-speaking regions to omit the article la and say ¿puedo ir a casa de mi amigo?
How does it change in a sentence?
The gender of the friend is reflected in the noun used at the end of the phrase. If the friend is female, you must change amigo to amiga to say ¿puedo ir a la casa de mi amiga?
Did you know?
- The verb ir is so irregular that its different forms come from three distinct Latin verbs: īre, vādere and esse.
- In some cultures, asking ¿puedo ir a la casa de mi amigo? might be followed by a social custom where the guest brings a small gift, known as un detalle, for the host.
- While amigo means 'friend', in some Spanish-speaking countries it is used as a generic term to address a stranger, similar to 'mate' or 'buddy' in English.
Examples in context
- ¿Puedo ir a casa de mi amigo/a?Can I go to my friend's house?
- ¿Me dejas ir a casa de mi amigo/a?Can you let me go to my friend's house?
- Si termino la tarea, ¿puedo ir a la casa de mi amigo?If I finish my homework, can I go to my friend's house?
Example conversation
Sofía is asking her brother Daniel for permission to go out.
- SofíaDaniel, ¿puedo ir a la casa de mi amigo?Daniel, can I go to my friend's house?
- DanielSolo si limpias tu habitación primero.Only if you clean your room first.
- SofíaEstá bien, lo haré ahora mismo.Okay, I will do it right now.
- DanielMuy bien, después puedes ir.Very well, you can go after that.
