compa

What it means

1. 1.

   Buddy, pal. A warm, unpretentious term for a friend, and a common way to address a man whose name you don't know.

Examples with translations

• Gracias, compa, te debo una.

  Thanks, buddy, I owe you one.

• Ahí viene mi compa con las chelas.

  Here comes my mate with the beers.

Where it comes from

Clipped from compadre, originally the godfather of one's child — a formal bond of ritual kinship. The shortened form kept the warmth and dropped the obligation. Strongest in the north, though now heard everywhere.

Other forms

Similar terms:

cuate, carnal, valedor