pote
/pɔt/
The French word for homie is pote.
pote is used to refer to a friend or somebody one often hangs out with.
Meaning: a friend, somebody one often hangs out with (noun)
Which one should you use?
While pote means homie or buddy, you might also encounter poto, which is a slang term meaning mate or buddy and mec, which is a slang term used to mean guy or dude. If you want to specify a childhood homie, use the phrase pote d'enfance.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
pote is an informal term used among friends. Similarly, poto and mec are considered slang.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of pote is potes.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɔt/
Did you know?
- The term pote is actually a shortened version of the word poteau, which means 'post' or 'pole'.
- The term pote is gender-neutral in practice, as many people use it for both male and female friends, though the grammatical gender remains masculine.
- While pote is common, poto is often associated with urban youth culture and hip hop influence in France.
Examples in context
- Merci, mon pote !Thanks, homie!This sentence shows how to use pote when thanking a friend.Tatoeba #8984264 by Micsmithel, translation #8089899 by kolver_emre06
- Ça, c'est mon pote Antoine.That's my homie Antoine.
- Salut, mec ! Comment ça va ?Hey, dude! How are you?
- Viens, on sort ce soir, poto !Come on, let's go out tonight, mate!
- Salut, mon pote ! Tu viens jouer au foot avec nous ?Hey, homie! Are you coming to play soccer with us?
- C'est un vieux pote de lycée.He is an old friend from high school.
- Je sors avec mes potes ce soir.I am going out with my buddies tonight.
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are talking about their weekend plans.
- LéaTu vas voir ton pote de basket ?Are you going to see your basketball buddy?
- GabrielOui, on va jouer un match.Yes, we are going to play a match.
- LéaAmuse-toi bien avec ton pote !Have fun with your buddy!
- GabrielMerci, à plus tard !Thanks, see you later!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pote, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pote, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
