compañero

Spanish

Etymology

From Old Spanish compannero, from companna (“company, entourage”). Analyzable as compaña (“company”) +‎ -ero. Compare Portuguese companheiro.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kompaˈɲeɾo/ [kõm.paˈɲe.ɾo]

• Audio (Colombia)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɾo
• Hyphenation: com‧pa‧ñe‧ro

Noun

compañero m (plural compañeros, feminine compañera, feminine plural compañeras)

1. companion (someone with whom one spends time or keeps company)

   compañero de viaje ― travel companion

2. mate, colleague; (with a qualifier) fellow X, classmate, coworker, etc. (someone with whom something is shared)

   Synonym: (especially a coworker) colega

   compañero de clase ― classmate

   compañero de piso ― roommate, flatmate

3. (politics) fellow member of a political group; comrade
4. teammate (one who is on the same team)

   Synonym: compañero de equipo

5. mate, partner (matching item in a set)
6. partner, significant other (especially not a spouse)
7. (figuratively) companion (a thing or phenomenon that is closely associated with another thing, phenomenon, or person)
8. friendly term of address; friend, buddy

Usage notes

The noun compañero is like most Spanish nouns with a human referent. The masculine forms are used when the referent is known to be male, a group of males, a group of mixed or unknown gender, or an individual of unknown or unspecified gender. The feminine forms are used if the referent is known to be female or a group of females.

Derived terms

• compa
• compañerismo
• compañero de fórmula
• un grano no hace granero, pero ayuda al compañero

Related terms

• compañía
• acompañar

Further reading

• “compañero”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014