meilleurs amis
The English phrase "best friends" is translated into French as meilleurs amis.
meilleurs amis is used to describe people who share a very close and strong bond of friendship.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of meilleurs (best) and amis (friends).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, the term Inséparables is often used and carries a similar meaning to best friends.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes depending on the gender and number of the people being described. Use meilleur ami when referring to one male best friend, and meilleure amie when referring to one female best friend. For a group of best friends that is exclusively female, use meilleures amies. The standard form meilleurs amis is used for both an all-male group and a mixed-gender group.
Did you know?
- In French, the distinction between a 'friend' ami and an 'acquaintance' connaissance is much stricter than in English.
- The phrase meilleur ami is often used in the names of French pet stores and grooming services, playing on the idea that dogs are 'man's best friend'.
- The word ami comes from the Latin amicus, which is a distant relative of the English word 'amicable'.
Examples in context
- Ce sont les meilleurs amis.They're best friends.This sentence is useful for identifying a group of people as best friends using meilleurs amis.Tatoeba #9159556 by Julien_PDC, translation #2647060 by CK
- C'est un de mes meilleurs amis.He is one of my best friends.This sentence is useful for identifying one person as a member of a group of best friends using meilleurs amis.Tatoeba #132309 by Aiji, translation #297919 by CK
- Nous étions les meilleurs amis.We were best friends.This sentence is useful for describing a past state of being best friends using meilleurs amis.Tatoeba #2222981 by sacredceltic, translation #1893693 by CK
- Jean et Pierre sont les meilleurs copains du monde.Jean and Pierre are the best friends in the world.
- Marie et Charlotte sont devenues meilleures amies dès le premier jour de leur rencontre.Marie and Charlotte became best friends from the first day they met.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are talking about their childhood.
- LucasOn était meilleurs amis quand on était petits.We were best friends when we were little.
- ManonOui, on jouait tout le temps ensemble !Yes, we played together all the time!
- LucasJe suis content qu'on soit toujours meilleurs amis.I am glad that we are still best friends.
- ManonMoi aussi, Lucas.Me too, Lucas.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
