Which one should you use?
The default form ¿quieres ser mi amigo? uses the singular "my friend", whereas English often uses the plural "friends" in this context. In Spanish, the singular is more common when addressing one person.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, ¿Querés ser mi amigo? is a common informal variation. In Spain, ¿Te apetece ser mi amigo? is used to provide a more casual feel. In Mexico, you can use the slang term ¿Quisieras ser mi cuate? to refer to a friend.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are asking a female to be your friend, you must change the masculine amigo to the feminine amiga in the form ¿quieres ser mi amiga? To ask a group of people if they want to be your friends, use the plural verb form quieren and the plural noun amigos in the form ¿quieren ser mis amigos?
Did you know?
- While amigo is the standard term, the Mexican slang cuate originally comes from the Nahuatl word coatl meaning 'twin'.
- In certain Caribbean dialects, using the word amigo can sometimes sound like you are a stranger or a salesperson trying to be overly friendly.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿quieres ser mi amigo? is more common among children than adults.
Examples in context
- Señor López, ¿le gustaría ser mi amigo?Mr. López, would you like to be my friend?
- ¿Quisiera usted ser mi amiga, señora García?Would you like to be my friend, Mrs. García?
- Oye Juan, ¿quieres ser mi amigo?Hey Juan, do you want to be my friend?
- Hola, ¿quieres ser mi amigo?Hi, do you want to be my friend?
- Eres muy simpático, ¿quieres ser mi amigo?You are very nice, do you want to be my friend?
Example conversation
Two students are talking after class at school.
- MaríaHola, soy María. ¿Quieres ser mi amigo?Hi, I am María. Do you want to be my friend?
- Alejandro¡Hola! Claro que sí, María.Hi! Of course, María.
- María¡Qué bueno! Me caes muy bien.That's great! I like you a lot.
- AlejandroGracias, yo también quiero ser tu amigo.Thanks, I want to be your friend too.
