What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase means "the my good friend". In Italian, it is standard to include the definite article il (the) before the possessive adjective mio (my).
Which one should you use?
While il mio buon amico is a direct translation of the English phrase, it is worth noting that Italians more frequently use caro amico (dear friend) to express the same level of closeness and affection.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must change its gender and number to match the person or people you are describing. To refer to a female friend, use la mia buona amica, where the adjective becomes buona and the noun becomes amica. To refer to a group consisting only of female friends, use the feminine plural form le mie buone amiche.
How do you pronounce it?
/il ˈmi.o ˈbwɔn aˈmi.ko/. The stress is on the 2nd of 6 syllables.
Did you know?
- The definite article il contains a vowel added specifically to make the word easier to pronounce, a linguistic phenomenon known as svarabhakti.
- While amico means 'friend', using the word buona (good) in la mia buona amica can sometimes imply a person is kind-hearted rather than just a close companion.
Examples in context
- John è il mio buon amico.John is my good friend.This sentence is useful for identifying the form il mio buon amico.Tatoeba #7928181 by Guybrush88, translation #7829840 by sharris123
- Ho conosciuto il mio caro amico, Stefano, all'università.I met my good friend, Stefano, at university.
- Tizio è davvero un grande amico, non posso immaginare la mia vita senza di lui.Tizio is truly a great friend, I can't imagine my life without him.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo is introducing a friend to Sofia.
- MatteoSofia, guarda, questo è il mio buon amico Luca.Sofia, look, this is my good friend Luca.
- SofiaPiacere di conoscerti, Luca!Nice to meet you, Luca!
- MatteoLuca è il mio buon amico da anni.Luca has been my good friend for years.
- SofiaChe bello, benvenuto tra noi.How lovely, welcome among us.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (il, mio, buon, amico) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amico, il, mio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
