mon amie
The English phrase "my female friend" is translated into French as mon amie.
mon amie is used to refer to a woman who is a friend.
Which one should you use?
While mon amie refers to a platonic female friend, the phrase ma petite amie is the standard way to say "my girlfriend".
How does it change in a sentence?
Even though amie is a feminine noun, the masculine possessive adjective mon is used instead of ma to avoid a vowel clash.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say ma amie because amie is feminine, but mon amie is the correct form due to the following vowel.
Did you know?
- In the era of Old French, calling someone your amie would almost certainly imply they were your lover rather than just a platonic friend.
- The word mon likely reflects an ancient influence from Gaulish, the Celtic language spoken in France before the arrival of Latin.
- In French, referring to someone as mon amie can be ambiguous because it sounds identical to mon ami, the term for a male friend.
Examples in context
- Je voudrais vous présenter mon amie, Sophie.I would like to introduce you to my friend, Sophie.
- Mon amie travaille à l'hôpital.My friend works at the hospital.
- Je considère Marie comme mon amie proche.I consider Marie as my close friend.
- J'ai passé une journée agréable avec mon amie proche.I had a pleasant day with my close friend.
- Ma pote est géniale !My friend is awesome!
- J'ai rencontré ma meilleure amie à l'école maternelle.I met my best friend in kindergarten.
- Ma meilleure amie est là pour moi dans les bons et les mauvais moments.My best friend is there for me in good times and bad.
- Je te présente mon amie, Julie.I introduce my friend, Julie, to you.
- Mon amie arrive dans dix minutes.My friend is arriving in ten minutes.
- Est-ce que mon amie peut venir ?Can my friend come?
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are talking about a party.
- LucasTu viens à la fête avec mon amie ?Are you coming to the party with my friend?
- ManonOui, j'adore passer du temps avec elle.Yes, I love spending time with her.
- LucasElle est très sympa, tu vas l'aimer.She is very nice, you are going to like her.
- ManonParfait, à ce soir alors !Perfect, see you tonight then!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amie, mon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
