guter Freund
/ˈɡuːtɐ frɔʏ̯nt/word by word
The German phrase for "good friend" is guter Freund.
This phrase describes a person with whom one has a close and trusted relationship.
Which one should you use?
German speakers often distinguish between a guter Freund, who is a close friend and a Bekannter, which means an acquaintance.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes depending on the gender and number of people you are describing. If you are referring to a female friend, use gute Freundin. The plural form for multiple good friends is gute Freunde. If the phrase is used as the direct object of a sentence (the accusative case), it changes to einen guten Freund.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡuːtɐ frɔʏ̯nt/
Did you know?
- Using mein Freund can be ambiguous in German because it can mean 'my good friend' or 'my romantic boyfriend'.
- To avoid the romantic implication of mein Freund, Germans often use ein guter Freund to clarify that the relationship is platonic.
- Because German is so strict about the distinction between a Freund and a Bekannter, calling a new acquaintance a Freund can sometimes feel uncomfortably intense or even overly intimate.
Examples in context
- Er war ein guter Freund.He was a good friend.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone was a guter Freund.Tatoeba #9950540 by wolfgangth, translation #755172 by vicch
- Du bist ein guter Freund.You're a good friend.This sentence is useful for telling someone that they are a guter Freund.Tatoeba #1909106 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1895636 by CK
- Tom ist ein guter Freund.Tom is a good friend.This sentence is useful for stating that Tom is a guter Freund.Tatoeba #2133463 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1868240 by CK
- Er ist ein guter Freund.He is a good friend.
- Er ist ein guter Kumpel von mir.He is a good friend of mine.
- Sie ist meine beste Freundin.She is my best friend.
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are talking about a mutual acquaintance at a cafe.
- SarahIst er ein guter Freund von dir?Is he a good friend of yours?
- JulianJa, er ist ein sehr guter Freund.Yes, he is a very good friend.
- SarahDas freut mich für dich, Julian.I am happy for you, Julian.
- JulianDanke, Sarah. Er hilft mir immer.Thanks, Sarah. He always helps me.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (Guter, Freund) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
