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You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. comadre/compadre

• Thread starter Thread starter MSanchezC
• Start date Start date Sep 24, 2007

MSanchezC

Senior Member

San Pedro Cholula, Puebla, México Mexico-Spanish Hi everybody, I´ve been looking for the word "comadre" or "compadre" in english, but I couldn´t find anything. In Mexico, we say someone is our "comadre" (feminine) or "compadre" (male) when they are the godparents of our child (in baptism), so they are our "compadres" I don´t like what I found in WR, because it says: compadre m familiar (amigo, compañero) friend, US buddy: espera un momento que voy a saludar a mis compadres, excuse me for a moment - I have to say hello to my buddies and this isn´t my real meaning of "compadre" Help and suggestions welcome! I

Idiomático

Senior Member

Virginia, USA Latin American Spanish compadre, comadre El primer significado de estas palabras es el que señalas (padrino o madrina de tu hijo). Sin embargo, en ciertos lugares (Andalucía, p. ej.) también significa amigo.

LA_Andaluza

Senior Member

Málaga Español (Spain) En España se usa la palabra "padrino" y "madrina" para referirse a los padrinos del niño que se bautiza. S

Sarasaki

Senior Member

Bangalore India - English & Kannada Godmother and Godfather together are Godparents. Is this what you are looking for?

MSanchezC

Senior Member

San Pedro Cholula, Puebla, México Mexico-Spanish No, I´m looking for the translation for "compadre" and "comadre". For example: "The godfathers of my son are my "compadres", so the relationship between us is "compadres", not between them and my son. Godfathers: padrinos de mi hijo (pero no padrinos míos) Compadres: la relación entre ellos y yo (no entre ellos y mi hijo) This is a little confused O

Outsider

Senior Member

Portuguese (Portugal) No me parece que el inglés tenga una palabra para esto. S

Sarasaki

Senior Member

Bangalore India - English & Kannada

MSanchezC said: No, I´m looking for the translation for "compadre" and "comadre". For example: "The godfathers of my son are my "compadres", so the relationship between us is "compadres", not between them and my son. Godfathers: padrinos de mi hijo (pero no padrinos míos) Compadres: la relación entre ellos y yo (no entre ellos y mi hijo) It´s a little confused? Click to expand...

Ah! I see it now....but I cannot help Hope someone out there can give you an answer. Good luck!

MSanchezC

Senior Member

San Pedro Cholula, Puebla, México Mexico-Spanish

Sarasaki said: Ah! I see it now....but I cannot help Hope someone out there can give you an answer. Good luck! Click to expand...

Thanks anyway Saraski! I´ll keep waiting! E

enjoythewords

New Member

Lower Haight, San Francisco USA The relationship between mother/father and godmother/godfather is not, generally, as close in the the United States as it is in Latin America. For this reason, there is no word in common usage to describe it. The closest translation would be my son's godfather, but this just describes the literal state of being, not the contextual family relationship. R

RickyLA

New Member

Los Angeles, CA, USA English-East Coast United States Hi all....! We have used compadre/comadre in two main ways; first as a godparent (through the church), and second as a very close confidant, friend, one who shares a great deal of activities together. In both cases, it describes the bond between us as adults, nurtured over time and circumstance. In the US, wherever there are people who speak Spanish, it is traditional to accept one another as compadre, or compay, etc., when you share that very close bond. I hope this may shed some light on the transition of a word and meaning as it spreads from one region to another. Always, it is up to you to define how you use your words and what they will mean to you; that is what will alway count!

DamaYasmin

Member

Colonia Austin Gardens Mexico Spanish Generalmente son para los padrinos o madrinas y tambien para los suegros de los hijos e hijas. T

tesoler1

New Member

Philadelphia, PA, USA Spanish La relación de compadrazgo existe, pero como la mayoría de la población no es católica en los países de habla inglesa, entonces no es común usar/oír las palabras equivalentes a compadre y comadre relacionado con la madre o el padre del ahijado/a. Todos parecen haber entendido la relación con el niño o la niña, pero no con los padres de éste/a. Yo creo que la traducción es Godbrother para compadre y Godsister para comadre. Recuerden que la relación de compadrazgo es una de hermandad, tanto así que se espera que cuando los padres del ahijado mueran, los padrinos se hacen cargo del/de la ahijado/a. I

Idiomático

Senior Member

Virginia, USA Latin American Spanish There are no English words for compadre/comadre (when they refer to the relationship between the godparents of a child or between them and the child's parents). Another such word is consuegro(a), which is the name of the relationship between the two sets of parents of a married couple. To say el/ella es mi consuegro/a, English must resort to he or she is my son's/daughter's father-/ mother-in-law. To say somos consuegros, in English one has to say our children are married to each other. As for concuñado/a, better look it up in the dictionary... A

AlGrano

Senior Member

North Carolina, USA Spanish - Honduras I would like to commend you, tesoler1, for the creation of such and excellent equivalent to "compadre/comadre". We all know that Godbrother and Godsister are not English words, but if we are to move forward, with an open mind, we need to enrich our vocabulary by adopting new concepts that pertain to foreign cultures. In general, we can follow either of two different approaches, both are equally valid in making English more international and both methods have been proven to be successful in other tongues: 1) we either create a new composite-word as you did or 2) we repeat the foreign word the best we can with the English accent. In both cases, questions will arise for the concept is foreign; so be prepared to explain, which is usually unavoidable until the concept establishes a foothold in the adoptive language. I like "compadre" = "Godbrother" and "comadre" = "Godsister", for the bond of the relationship is at a family level, brought about by God through the marriage of their children. Good job! N

necio

New Member

spanish Comadre in english is midwife P

pwgabachito

New Member

English - USA

necio said: Comadre in english is midwife Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but midwife is most definitely not comadre in the sense that the OP is referring to. A midwife is a woman who assists in delivering a baby. The term for midwife in Spanish is partera, comadrona, or comadre in certain areas.

duvija

Senior Member

Chicago Spanish - Uruguay No hay traducción para 'compadre/comadre'. Asunto zanjado, como se decía hace un tiempito. L

Lulu_Linguistics

New Member

American English

AlGrano said: I would like to commend you, tesoler1, for the creation of such and excellent equivalent to "compadre/comadre". We all know that Godbrother and Godsister are not English words, but if we are to move forward, with an open mind, we need to enrich our vocabulary by adopting new concepts that pertain to foreign cultures. In general, we can follow either of two different approaches, both are equally valid in making English more international and both methods have been proven to be successful in other tongues: 1) we either create a new composite-word as you did or 2) we repeat the foreign word the best we can with the English accent. In both cases, questions will arise for the concept is foreign; so be prepared to explain, which is usually unavoidable until the concept establishes a foothold in the adoptive language. I like "compadre" = "Godbrother" and "comadre" = "Godsister", for the bond of the relationship is at a family level, brought about by God through the marriage of their children. Good job! Click to expand...

Godbrother and Godsister do exist in English. They are used to refer to your godparents' children or the godchild of your parent. If my mother was someone's godparent, that person would be my Godsister/brother or if my Godparent has a child, that person would be my Godsister/brother. Comadre/compadre do not directly translate to English. They mean my child's Godmother/Godfather (in relation to me) or the mother/father of a child of whom I am the Godparent. In my head, I liken them to mean 'co-parent' in the sense of what a Godparent means. More colloquially, they are also used to mean friend. T

tioman

New Member

english canada, spanish-venezuela

Lulu_Linguistics said: Godbrother and Godsister do exist in English. They are used to refer to your godparents' children or the godchild of your parent. If my mother was someone's godparent, that person would be my Godsister/brother or if my Godparent has a child, that person would be my Godsister/brother. Comadre/compadre do not directly translate to English. They mean my child's Godmother/Godfather (in relation to me) or the mother/father of a child of whom I am the Godparent. In my head, I liken them to mean 'co-parent' in the sense of what a Godparent means. More colloquially, they are also used to mean friend. Click to expand...

Lulu_Linguistics said: Godbrother and Godsister do exist in English. They are used to refer to your godparents' children or the godchild of your parent. If my mother was someone's godparent, that person would be my Godsister/brother or if my Godparent has a child, that person would be my Godsister/brother. Comadre/compadre do not directly translate to English. They mean my child's Godmother/Godfather (in relation to me) or the mother/father of a child of whom I am the Godparent. In my head, I liken them to mean 'co-parent' in the sense of what a Godparent means. More colloquially, they are also used to mean friend. Click to expand...

Lulu_Linguistics said: Godbrother and Godsister do exist in English. They are used to refer to your godparents' children or the godchild of your parent. If my mother was someone's godparent, that person would be my Godsister/brother or if my Godparent has a child, that person would be my Godsister/brother. Comadre/compadre do not directly translate to English. They mean my child's Godmother/Godfather (in relation to me) or the mother/father of a child of whom I am the Godparent. In my head, I liken them to mean 'co-parent' in the sense of what a Godparent means. More colloquially, they are also used to mean friend. Click to expand...

EXCELLENT. I will start to call the parents of my Godson/Goddaughter, Godbrother and Godsister. In my country Venezuela, the relationship of that is very close. You have to be a very good friend and an reliable person to be chosen as Godfather. So, it is never as a simple friend.

Peter David Gelinas

New Member

English

MSanchezC said: Hi everybody, I´ve been looking for the word "comadre" or "compadre" in english, but I couldn´t find anything. In Mexico, we say someone is our "comadre" (feminine) or "compadre" (male) when they are the godparents of our child (in baptism), so they are our "compadres" I don´t like what I found in WR, because it says: compadre m familiar (amigo, compañero) friend, US buddy: espera un momento que voy a saludar a mis compadres, excuse me for a moment - I have to say hello to my buddies and this isn´t my real meaning of "compadre" Help and suggestions welcome! Click to expand...

Hi. As a Catholic, I love your explanation of compadre which I looked up after church where I briefly met a new parishioner referring to them as buddy and brother. We have some Mexican immigrant parishioners to so I looked up compadre and was surprised at its deaper meaning, one which English speaking Catholics should be proud to adopt. Foreign words are historically added to the English language. New words are introduced sometimes with the help of using group publications such as Urban Dictionary and Wikipedia. Viva compadres y comadres!

OtroLencho

Mod Squad (Sp/En)

Washington State English - Western US

tioman said: EXCELLENT. I will start to call the parents of my Godson/Goddaughter, Godbrother and Godsister. Click to expand...

If I understand correctly, that is NOT the meaning normally attributed to those words. Your children would be the godbrothers and godsisters of your godchildren. You must log in or register to reply here. Share: Bluesky LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Share Link

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