The Italian word amici translates to friends in English. It is the plural form of amico (male friend) or amica (female friend), depending on the gender of the individuals involved.
In Italian, nouns have gender, and their endings often indicate whether they are masculine or feminine. Amico is masculine, and its plural form is amici. Amica is feminine, and its plural form is amiche. Notably, amici is used for a group of male friends or a mixed-gender group, while amiche is exclusively for female friends.
Here are some examples to demonstrate how each form is used:
Luca è il mio migliore amico. – Luca is my best friend.
Maria è una cara amica. – Maria is a dear friend.
Ho molti amici in questa città. – I have many friends in this city.
Le mie amiche sono molto gentili. – My (female) friends are very kind.
These examples show how the word changes depending on the gender and number of people being referred to.
Etymologically, amico and its variations come from the Latin word amicus, meaning friend or friendly. This Latin root also influences similar words in other Romance languages, like ami in French and amigo in Spanish.
In summary, amici means friends in Italian and is used to refer to a group of male friends or a mixed-gender group.