kompis

Kompis is a Swedish noun meaning friend, buddy, or mate, used in informal speech to refer to someone with whom the speaker has a close or familiar relationship. It is gender-neutral and commonly used among peers, especially among youths and in casual settings. It can be used as direct address, as in hej kompis, or to refer to a person in a group, e.g., min kompis or mina kompisar.

Origin and etymology: The word is of Germanic origin, likely borrowed from the German Kumpel or Kumpan meaning companion or buddy. The exact path into Swedish is uncertain, but kompis has been established as a common term in modern Swedish since the early to mid-20th century.

Usage and nuance: Kompis conveys informality and camaraderie. It signals a casual, egalitarian relationship rather than a formal friendship. It is generally avoided in formal writing or professional contexts where vän might be preferred. In everyday speech, the term appears in phrases such as kompisgäng (a group of friends) or kompisar (friends).

Regional and cross-language notes: In Norwegian, kompis has the same meaning and is used similarly; in Danish, kompis is also used as slang for friend but is less universal. In Swedish, synonyms include vän (friend), kamrat (companion), and polare (slang for a close friend).

See also: vän, kamrat, polare.