cuates

Cuates is a Spanish term with two primary senses. In Latin American usage, especially in Mexico and parts of Central America, cuates refers to twins or twin siblings. It is also widely used as slang to mean close friends or companions, similar to buddies or pals. In both senses, cuates refer to more than one person.

The twin sense appears in phrases such as los cuates or son cuates to describe two individuals who are twins. In the friendship sense, cuates describes people with a strong, casual bond; mi cuate would refer to a male friend, and mis cuates to my friends. The term often conveys warmth and familiarity and can be affectionate among peers or family.

The origin of cuate is not definitively established and remains a colloquial term in Mexican Spanish, widely understood across Latin America though not universal. The standard term for twins is gemelos or mellizos; cuates emphasizes social closeness rather than purely biological relation. In some contexts the form is used more informally than gemelos. Cuates also appears in literature, music, and media as slang for friends or brothers, illustrating how regional speech extends from biology to social ties.