Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«Los amigos son la familia que uno elige.»
Word for word
Friends are the family that one chooses.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Friends are the family you choose.
Common in modern speech to describe close friendships that feel like family. Used warmly to include friends in one's inner circle.
Hear it in a sentence
Los amigos son la familia que uno elige, y en mi boda no faltó ninguno.
Friends are the family you choose, and none were missing at my wedding.
Why learn dichos?
Proverbs like this one are everywhere in spoken Spanish — dropped mid-conversation, usually just the first half, with the rest left for you to complete. Recognizing them is one of the fastest ways to sound less like a textbook and follow real speech. Every Lingocito edition signs off with the dicho del día, so you meet one a day next to news written at your exact level.