Mi amigo es bienvenido aquí.

to be

Breakdown of Mi amigo es bienvenido aquí.

• mi: my
• aquí: here
• el amigo: the friend

Questions & Answers about Mi amigo es bienvenido aquí.

Why is it mi amigo and not el mi amigo?

In modern Spanish, possessive adjectives like mi, tu, su, nuestro normally replace the article. So mi amigo means my friend.

Using el mi amigo is not standard in normal modern Spanish.

Does amigo mean the friend is male?

Usually, yes. Amigo is masculine singular.

• If the friend is female, say Mi amiga es bienvenida aquí.
• If it is a group, use the plural:
  • Mis amigos son bienvenidos aquí
  • Mis amigas son bienvenidas aquí

So both the noun and bienvenido change to match gender and number.

Why is the verb es used instead of está?

Spanish normally uses ser in this expression: ser bienvenido = to be welcome.

Here, the sentence is talking about your friend being accepted or invited in this place, not about his physical location or a temporary condition. That is why es is used.

So:

• Mi amigo es bienvenido aquí = My friend is welcome here

Using está here would not be the normal choice.

What exactly is bienvenido in this sentence?