ami
/a.mi/
In French, ami means friend.
The term ami refers to a person with whom one shares a strong bond of mutual affection and trust.
Which one should you use?
While ami is the standard word for friend, the term copain can be used to mean a casual friend or, depending on the context, a boyfriend. For a more specific description, the phrase ami(e) proche is used to express that someone is a close friend.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes based on gender and number: the feminine form is amie, the masculine plural is amis (used for a group of men or a mixed-gender group) and to say 'my friend' in a masculine sense, use mon ami.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.mi/
Did you know?
- While ami is the standard term, the more casual copain literally means 'companion of bread'. It comes from the Latin cum for 'with' and panis for 'bread'.
- The word ami shares the same Latin root as the English word 'amorous' and the verb 'amateur'. Both come from the Latin root for 'love', showing that in French, a friend is literally someone who is loved.
- There is a subtle social distinction where un ami implies a deep, lifelong bond, whereas une connaissance is used for someone you know but would not consider a true friend.
Examples in context
- Salut, mon pote ! Ça fait longtemps qu'on ne s'est pas vus.Hey, buddy! It's been a while since we last saw each other.
- Il est vraiment sympa, mon copain François.My friend François is really nice.
- Sophie est une amie proche à qui je peux tout confier.Sophie is a close friend to whom I can confide everything.
- C'est un ami d'enfance.He is a childhood friend.
- Je cherche un ami pour voyager.I am looking for a friend to travel with.
- Il est mon meilleur ami.He is my best friend.
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel are sitting in a cafe.
- ChloéTu viens avec ton ami ?Are you coming with your friend?
- GabrielOui, mon ami arrive bientôt.Yes, my friend is arriving soon.
- ChloéEst-ce un nouvel ami ?Is he a new friend?
- GabrielNon, c'est un vieil ami.No, he is an old friend.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ami, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
