Definition
A close friend or companion, especially in Spanish-speaking cultures; literally means 'godfather' but is used as a friendly term.
Etymology
From Spanish 'compadre,' from Latin 'com-' (with) and 'padre' (father). Originally referred to the godfather of one's child, implying a special bond.
Kelly Says
In Latin American cultures, being someone's compadre creates lifelong obligations of loyalty and mutual support—it's a social relationship deeper than most English-speaking friendships.
Translations
ARالعربية
صديق (sadiq)
sa-diq
BNবাংলা
সঙ্গী (sangi)
san-gee
CACatalà
company
com-pa-nee
CSČeština
kamarád
kam-a-rad
DADansk
kammerat
kam-ma-rat
ELΕλληνικά
συμμαθητής (symmathites)
sim-ma-the-tes
ESEspañol
compadre
kom-pa-dray
FAفارسی
همسفر (hamsafar)
ham-sa-far
FRFrançais
camarade
kam-ar-ad
GUGU
મિત્ર (mitra)
mit-ra
HAHA
ma'aikaci
ma-ai-ka-tsi
HEעברית
חבר (chaver)
kha-ver
HIहिन्दी
साथी (saathi)
sa-thee
IDBahasa Indonesia
teman
te-man
ITItaliano
compagno
kom-pa-nyo
JA日本語
仲間 (nakama)
na-ka-ma
KKKK
қатынас (qaty nas)
qaty-nas
KO한국어
동료 (dongyo)
dong-yo
MRMR
मित्र (mitra)
mit-ra
MSBahasa Melayu
rakan
ra-kan
MYမြန်မာ
ကျွန်တော် (kyun taw)
kyun-taw
NLNederlands
kameraad
kam-rah-ad
PAPA
ਸਾਥੀ (saathi)
sa-thee
PTPortuguês
compadre
kom-pa-dray
RUРусский
товарищ (tovarisch)
to-va-rishch
SWKiswahili
mwenzangu
mwen-zan-goo
TAதமிழ்
மित्रன் (mitran)
mit-ran
TEతెలుగు
మిత్రుడు (mitrudo)
mit-ru-doo
THไทย
เพื่อน (phuen)
phoo-en
TLTL
kaibigan
kai-bee-gan
TRTürkçe
arkadaş
ar-ka-dash
UKУкраїнська
товариш (tovarish)
to-va-rish
URاردو
ساتھی (sathi)
sa-thee
ZH中文
伙伴 (huǒbàn)
hwuo-bahn
ZUZU
umshayeli
oom-sha-ye-lee
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Spanish compadre (godfather, close friend) carries masculine default in gendered language. Related terms like comadre exist for women but are less commonly used reciprocally in mixed company.
Inclusive Usage
Use compadre/comadre situationally aware of gender, or employ neutral alternatives like amiga, amigo, or colega depending on context.
Inclusive Alternatives
["amiga","amigo","colega","comrade"]
Empowerment Note
Spanish feminists have reclaimed comadre as equally powerful; recognize both forms exist and are equally valid in modern usage.