mi favorito
/mi faboɾito/from spelling rules
The English phrase "my favorite" is translated into Spanish as mi favorito.
For example, you can say El que más me gusta to mean "the one I like the most." If you want to use a more informal expression, especially common among young people, you can say El que más me mola to mean "the one I really like."
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, where "favorite" is gender-neutral, the Spanish form changes based on whether the object or person being discussed is masculine or feminine.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must agree in gender and number with the noun it refers to. Use mi favorita for feminine nouns, mis favoritos for masculine plural nouns and mis favoritas for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/mi faboɾito/
Did you know?
- The word favorito can sometimes carry a slightly patronizing or political undertone, implying that someone is a 'teacher's pet' or a 'favored' person rather than just a liked one.
- The word favorito is a loanword from Italian, rather than being derived directly from Latin like many other Spanish adjectives.
- If you are talking about your favorite thing in a very slangy way in Spain, you might say it is mi rollo or lo mío, which translates more to 'my thing' than 'my favorite'.
Examples in context
- Este es mi favorito.This is my favorite.Tatoeba #4329280 by pchamorro, translation #2647581 by CK
- George siempre fue mi favorito.George was always my favorite.Tatoeba #1869755 by Shishir, translation #1869316 by CP
- Sos mi favorito.You're my favorite.Tatoeba #2228315 by hayastan, translation #2218211 by CK
- Este libro es mi preferidoThis book is my favorite
- La música clásica es mi favoritaClassical music is my favorite
- El libro que más me gusta es 'Cien años de soledad'The book I like the most is 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'
- Mi color favorito es azulMy favorite color is blue
- La película que más me gusta es 'Cadena perpetua'The movie I like the most is 'The Shawshank Redemption'
- Esta canción es mi favoritaThis song is my favorite
Example conversation
Mateo and María are looking at a menu in a restaurant.
- MateoMira, el pastel de chocolate es mi favorito.Look, the chocolate cake is my favorite.
- MaríaEl mío es el de fresa.Mine is the strawberry one.
- MateoEntonces pidamos uno de cada uno.Then let's order one of each.
- MaríaMe parece una idea excelente, Mateo.That sounds like an excellent idea, Mateo.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries favorito, mi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
