meilleure amie
/mɛ.jœʁ a.mi/
In French, the term for bestie is meilleure amie.
The phrase is used to describe a person's closest friend. While the English word "bestie" often carries a specific slang connotation, meilleure amie is the standard way to express this relationship in French.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In social contexts, the most natural way to talk about your own best friend is to use the possessive form ma meilleure amie (my bestie).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must agree in gender and number with the person or people you are describing. Use meilleur ami if the best friend is male, and use meilleures amies when referring to a group of female best friends.
How do you pronounce it?
/mɛ.jœʁ a.mi/
Did you know?
- The word amie used to mean 'lover' in Middle French, which is a much more intense romantic connection than the modern meaning of 'friend'.
- Modern French youth often use the English loanword 'bestie' or the slang 'best', which bypasses the traditional French grammar entirely.
- When addressing a mixed group of best friends that includes at least one male, the masculine plural meilleurs amis must be used, overriding the feminine version.
Examples in context
- Hier soir, j'ai passé la soirée avec mon meilleur ami, Lucas.Last night, I spent the evening with my best friend, Lucas.
- Ma meilleure amie, Marie, est venue me rendre visite aujourd'hui.My best friend, Marie, came to visit me today.
- Madame Martin est ma meilleure amie et une personne formidable.Mrs. Martin is my best friend and an amazing person.
- Je vais sortir avec ma meilleure amie.I am going out with my bestie.
- Elle est vraiment ma meilleure amie.She is truly my bestie.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are talking about a person about to arrive at a party.
- GabrielEst-ce que Sarah arrive bientôt ?Is Sarah arriving soon?
- LéaOui, elle arrive avec sa meilleure amie.Yes, she is arriving with her bestie.
- GabrielC'est une fille très sympa, cette meilleure amie ?Is this bestie a very nice girl?
- LéaOui, elle est adorable !Yes, she is lovely!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry meilleure amie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
