alter Freund
/ˈaltər frɔʏ̯nt/word by word
The German phrase for "old friend" is alter Freund.
This phrase refers to a person who has been a friend for a long time.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Austria and Bavaria, people often use Alter Spezi to affectionately address an old friend.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes to alte Freundin when referring to a female old friend, and the plural form of 'old friend' is alte Freunde.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈaltər frɔʏ̯nt/
Did you know?
- The word Freundschaft (friendship) is used in the phrase Freundschaft schließen, which literally means to 'close' or 'conclude' a friendship.
- In formal German, a person can be a Bekannter (acquaintance) long before they are considered a Freund, as the latter implies a deep emotional bond.
- Calling someone an alter in some German youth slang is like calling them 'dude' or 'old man' in English, regardless of their actual age.
Examples in context
- Tom ist ein alter Freund.Tom is an old friend.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as an old friend.Tatoeba #2133469 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1868230 by CK
- Ich bin ein alter Freund.I'm an old friend.This sentence is useful for identifying yourself as an old friend.Tatoeba #3339342 by Manfredo, translation #2549081 by CK
- Yanni ist ein alter Freund.Yanni is an old friend.Tatoeba #10025101 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10024138 by Amastan
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking at a cafe about someone they know.
- SarahIst er ein alter Freund von dir?Is he an old friend of yours?
- FelixJa, er ist ein alter Freund aus der Schulzeit.Yes, he is an old friend from school days.
- SarahDas ist ja schön!That is lovely!
- FelixJa, wir kennen uns schon sehr lange.Yes, we have known each other for a very long time.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (Alter, Freund) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
