compadre

buddy

noun kohm-PAH-dreh Rare

Origin: From Latin compater (co-father), via ecclesiastical use for the relationship between a godfather and a child's father.

Also means

godfather

Usage Note

Compadre originally described the relationship between a child's father and godfather—two men bound by the baptismal bond. In Latin American and US Spanish it has broadened into an informal term of address meaning 'pal' or 'buddy', similar to cuate in Mexico. In Spain this informal sense is less common; the ecclesiastical sense remains primary. The feminine is comadre.

Examples

"¡Oye, compadre, cómo estás!"

Natural Translation

Hey, buddy, how are you!

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