Skip to content

kompadre

kompádre with stress marks

male sponsor; close friend

noun kom-PAD-re Spanish origin Less Common

Usage Note

Kompadre is a Spanish loanword (from compadre) that in its formal sense refers to the godfather or male sponsor at a baptism, wedding, or confirmation — creating a ritual bond between families through the kumpare system. Informally it is used as a friendly address between close male companions, similar to buddy or pal.

Examples

Beginner

" Matagal ko nang kompadre si Mario. "

Natural Translation

Mario has long been my compadre.

Literal Translation

Long my already compadre the Mario.

Intermediate

" Kompadre ko siya mula pa noong binyag ng aking anak. "

Natural Translation

He/She has been my compadre since my child's baptism.

Literal Translation

Compadre my he/she from still the baptism of-the my child.

Advanced

" Tinawag niya akong kompadre kahit hindi pa kami magkamag-anak, dahil malapit talaga ang loob namin sa isa't isa. "

Natural Translation

He called me his compadre even though we are not yet related, because we are truly close to each other.

Literal Translation

Called he me compadre even-though not yet we relatives, because close really the insides ours to each-other.

Free · iOS & Android

Take Tagalog with you

The full course, a 12,500-word dictionary, and flashcards that make every word stick — free to start on iOS and Android.

Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.

How Tagalog words work

Explore Tagalog by topic

Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.