quiero ser tu amigo
/kjeɾo seɾ tu amiɡo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I wanna be friends" is expressed as quiero ser tu amigo.
This phrase is used to express a desire to start a friendship with someone. While English uses the plural "friends" to describe the relationship, Spanish uses the singular amigo to describe the speaker's role in relation to the other person.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I want to be your friend".
Which one should you use?
The phrase quiero ser tu amigo specifically refers to a singular relationship (I want to be your friend).
How does it change in a sentence?
If the speaker is female, the word amigo must change to the feminine form amiga.
How do you pronounce it?
/kjeɾo seɾ tu amiɡo/
Did you know?
- In some regions, the phrase can be replaced by quiero ser tu compa, using a shortened version of compadre which originally referred to the co-father of a baptized child.
- While 'I want to be friends' is a social request in English, saying quiero ser tu amigo can actually sound like a romantic proposition in many Spanish-speaking contexts.
- The word amigo comes from the Latin word amō, which means 'to love'.
Examples in context
- Eres amable y quiero ser tu amigo.You are kind and I want to be your friend.
- No quiero problemas, solo quiero ser tu amigo.I don't want problems, I just want to be your friend.
Example conversation
Two students meeting for the first time at school.
- MateoHola Lucía, soy Mateo y quiero ser tu amigo.Hi Lucía, I'm Mateo and I want to be your friend.
- Lucía¡Hola Mateo! Qué amable eres.Hi Mateo! How kind of you.
- Mateo¿Quieres ir a la cafetería conmigo?Do you want to go to the cafeteria with me?
- LucíaSí, me encantaría ir.Yes, I would love to go.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amigo, ser, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
