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Ellas son amigas.

Ellas son amigas.
They are friends.
From Lesson 6:Plural pronouns and the verb to be (somos, son)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Ellas son amigas.

Why do we use ellas instead of ellos here?
Ellas specifically means 'they' for a group made up entirely of females. If the group of friends were all males, or a mix of males and females, you would use ellos instead.
Why is the verb son in this sentence?
Son is the form of the verb ser (to be) used for 'they' (ellos or ellas) and 'you all' (ustedes). We use ser here because a friendship is considered a lasting relationship or identity, rather than a temporary condition.
Why does the word for friends end in -as here?
In Spanish, nouns change to match the gender and number of the people they refer to. Since the subject is ellas (feminine and plural, meaning more than one woman), the base word amigo changes its ending to match, becoming amigas.
Could I just say Son amigas without ellas?
Yes! In Spanish, you can often drop the subject pronoun. Because son means 'they are' and amigas tells us they are a group of females, the word ellas is not strictly required. You mostly include it to add emphasis or to be absolutely clear who you are talking about.

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