mon ami
The English phrase 'my friend' is translated into French as mon ami.
The phrase is used to describe a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection and trust. You may also use more specific terms such as mon cher ami or ma chère amie to mean 'my dear friend' or 'my dear female friend'.
Which one should you use?
mon ami is used when referring to a male friend, whereas mon amie is used for a female friend. For a group of friends, the plural form is mes amis.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes gender to indicate the sex of the friend: use mon ami for a male and mon amie for a female. The plural form of 'my friend' is mes amis.
When do people say it?
In certain contexts, the terms mon copain and ma copine can mean 'my boyfriend' and 'my girlfriend', but they are also used to refer to close friends of the opposite gender.
Did you know?
- Although amie is feminine, you still use the masculine possessive mon instead of ma before it because amie begins with a vowel.
- In French, the phrase mon ami can sometimes be used condescendingly or ironically by a stranger, similar to how 'my friend' is used in some English dialects to signal a confrontation.
- French speakers often use mon pote as a very casual version of mon ami, which is derived from the word for a 'peg' or 'stake'.
Examples in context
- Il est mon ami.He is my friend.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is a friend using mon ami.Tatoeba #132332 by Micsmithel, translation #298009 by CH
- Tu fus mon ami.You were my friend.This sentence is useful for expressing a past friendship using mon ami.Tatoeba #1460823 by sacredceltic, translation #1457274 by CK
- Tu es mon amie.You are my friend.This sentence is useful for identifying a female friend using mon ami.Tatoeba #2749329 by Micsmithel, translation #370562 by saeb
- Je vous présente Monsieur Dubois, mon ami de longue date.Allow me to introduce Mr. Dubois, my long-time friend.
- Salut tout le monde, voici mon pote Pierre!Hey everyone, this is my buddy Pierre!
- 384 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa introduces Lucas to another person.
- LéaJe te présente mon ami Lucas.I introduce my friend Lucas to you.
- LucasEnchanté, Lucas !Nice to meet you, Lucas!
- LéaLucas est mon ami depuis l'enfance.Lucas has been my friend since childhood.
- LucasC'est super d'avoir un ami fidèle.It's great to have a loyal friend.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
