Portuguese · People & Family
"Friend" in Portuguese: amigo / amiga
o amigo / a amiga
Friend in Portuguese is o amigo for a male friend and a amiga for a female friend. A mixed group is os amigos, and a group of women is as amigas. In Brazil the final o sounds like "oo", so you hear ah-MEE-goo.
Introducing someone
Essa é a Júlia, uma amiga da faculdade.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce amigo / amiga
Say it
ah-MEE-goo / ah-MEE-gah
/aˈmiɡu/, /aˈmiɡɐ/
Put the stress on the middle syllable: ah-MEE-goo. In Brazil an unstressed final o becomes a short "oo", while amiga ends in a soft "gah": ah-MEE-gah. The g is always hard, like in "go".
"Friend" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| o amigo | friend (male) The default word, and the plural for a mixed group: os amigos. | The default word, and the plural for a mixed group: os amigos. |
| a amiga | friend (female) For a female friend. A group of only women is as amigas. | For a female friend. A group of only women is as amigas. |
| o melhor amigo / a melhor amiga | best friend Your closest friend. Melhor stays the same for both genders. | Your closest friend. Melhor stays the same for both genders. |
| o/a colega | classmate, coworker Someone you study or work with, not always a close friend. | Someone you study or work with, not always a close friend. |
| a galera | the gang, your group of friends Casual Brazilian speech: Vou sair com a galera. | Casual Brazilian speech: Vou sair com a galera. |
How to use amigo / amiga in real life
- 1Introducing someone
Essa é a Júlia, uma amiga da faculdade.
This is Júlia, a friend from college.
In Brazil, faculdade is the everyday word for university or college.
- 2Texting about plans
Vou sair com uns amigos hoje à noite. Quer vir?
I'm going out with some friends tonight. Want to come?
Uns amigos means "some friends". Quer vir? drops the você, which is very common in texts.
- 3Talking about the past
Ele é meu melhor amigo desde a escola.
He has been my best friend since school.
With desde (since), Portuguese uses the present é where English uses "has been".
Mistakes English speakers make with amigo / amiga
Incorrect: A Maria é meu amigo.
Correct: A Maria é minha amiga.
Both the noun and the possessive change for a woman: minha amiga. Meu amigo is only for a male friend.
Incorrect: Ele é mi amigo.
Correct: Ele é meu amigo.
Mi is Spanish. In Portuguese, "my" is meu for masculine nouns and minha for feminine ones.
Good to know
Brazilians are often warm with new people, and a friendly stranger may call you meu amigo within minutes of meeting. Among friends you will hear casual words like cara (dude), and in São Paulo, mano (bro). For a truly close friend there is a special phrase: amigo do peito, literally "friend of the chest", meaning a friend from the heart.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Chatting at a friend's birthday party
ChatPal
Oi! Quem é a moça com você? É sua amiga?
Hi! Who's the young woman with you? Is she your friend?
You
É, sim. A Lena é minha amiga do trabalho.
Yes, she is. Lena is my friend from work.
ChatPal
Que legal! Vocês se conhecem há muito tempo?
How nice! Have you known each other long?
You
Faz uns dois anos. Hoje ela é minha melhor amiga.
About two years. Now she's my best friend.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Friend" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Friend" in Portuguese
When do I say amigo and when amiga?
It depends on your friend's gender, not yours. Use amigo for a man and amiga for a woman. For a group with at least one man, use amigos.
What is the difference between amigo and colega?
Amigo is a friend. Colega is someone you share a class or a workplace with, and it has one form for both genders: o colega, a colega. A colega can become an amiga, of course.
What do Brazilians call their friends in casual speech?
You will hear cara (dude) all over Brazil, mano in São Paulo, and a galera for a whole group of friends. These are casual, so keep amigo for anything more formal.
Is amigo pronounced differently in Portugal?
Slightly. In Brazil the ending is a clear "oo": ah-MEE-goo. In Portugal the first a and the final o are shorter and weaker, so the word sounds quicker. Everyone understands both.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
