caro amico
/ˈka.ro aˈmi.ko/word by word
In Italian, 'dear friend' is translated as caro amico.
The phrase is a warm and affectionate way to address a close friend. While it is a natural way to express affection, it is more common in written correspondence, such as letters or emails, than in casual spoken conversation between close friends.
What does it mean word for word?
The adjective caro literally means both 'dear' (in an affectionate sense) and 'expensive' (in a costly sense).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must agree in gender and number with the person or people you are addressing. Use cara amica when addressing a female friend. For groups, use the masculine or mixed-gender plural form cari amici for a group of male friends or a mixed-gender group. If the group consists only of female friends, use the feminine plural form care amiche.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈka.ro aˈmi.ko/. It has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- While caro amico is a warm greeting, calling someone amico in a tense or sarcastic tone can actually be a way of distancing yourself or expressing hostility.
- If you wish to express an even deeper bond than caro amico, Italians often use amico del cuore, which literally translates to 'friend of the heart'.
- The word amico shares the same Latin root as the English word 'amicable', which is why both languages use the concept to describe friendly or peaceable relations.
Examples in context
- Era un mio caro amico.He was my dear friend.This sentence uses caro amico to describe a person who was a dear friend.Tatoeba #4897307 by Guybrush88, translation #297917 by CM
- Buona notte, caro amico!Good night, dear friend!This sentence uses caro amico as a friendly greeting when saying good night.Tatoeba #3873100 by Guybrush88, translation #1742315 by belgavox
- Vorrei fare un brindisi per il nostro caro amico Michael.I would like to have a toast for our dear friend, Michael.This sentence uses caro amico to refer to a person being toasted.Tatoeba #3088617 by Guybrush88, translation #2571080 by VirtuOZ
- Stimato amico, le porgo…Esteemed friend, I offer you…
- Carissimo amico, mi manchi molto!Dearest friend, I miss you a lot!
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Martina are writing a greeting card for a mutual friend.
- AlessandroCome dovremmo iniziare la lettera?How should we start the letter?
- MartinaPossiamo scrivere: Caro amico, spero che tu stia bene.We can write: Dear friend, I hope you are doing well.
- AlessandroSì, caro amico suona molto dolce.Yes, dear friend sounds very sweet.
- MartinaAllora, scriviamo subito questa frase!Then, let's write this sentence right away!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (caro, amico) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amico, caro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
