How to Say “This Is My Friend” in German

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Das ist mein Freund
The English phrase "this is my friend" is expressed in German as Das ist mein Freund.
Das ist mein Freund is used to introduce a friend to another person. You should use Dies ist meine Freundin when referring specifically to a female friend.

What does it mean word for word?

While Das ist literally translates to "That is", it is the standard way to say "This is" when introducing people in German.

Which one should you use?

Use Das ist meine Freundin to introduce a female friend, whereas Das ist mein Freund is used for a male friend. It is important to note that both mein Freund and meine Freundin can imply a romantic partner (boyfriend or girlfriend) rather than just a platonic friend. To avoid the implication of a romantic relationship, Germans often say ein Freund von mir (a friend of mine) instead of mein Freund.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In the Bavarian dialect, you may hear Des is mei Freundin. to refer to a female friend. In the Hamburg dialect, the phrase Dat is mien Kumpel. is used to refer to a male friend.

How does it change in a sentence?

When introducing more than one friend, the phrase changes to Das sind meine Freunde.

Did you know?

  • The word Freund is related to the Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to love'. This makes the word etymologically closer to the concept of a 'lover' than a simple acquaintance.

Examples in context

  • Das ist mein Freund.
    This is my friend.
    This sentence demonstrates the standard way to use Das ist mein Freund.
    Tatoeba #675959 by Zaghawa, translation #675960 by CK
  • Das ist mein Freund Tom.
    This is my friend, Tom.
    This sentence shows how to include a name when using Das ist mein Freund.
    Tatoeba #1037485 by Esperantostern, translation #1027273 by CK
  • Das ist mein Freund Alex, den habe ich auf der Arbeit kennengelernt.
    This is my friend, Alex. I met them at work.
    This sentence shows how to use Das ist mein Freund when providing extra context about how you met the person.
    Tatoeba #12064045 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #7840220 by RobinvanderVliet
  • Darf ich meinen Freund vorstellen? Das ist Tom.
    May I introduce my friend? This is Tom.
  • Darf ich dir meine Freundin vorstellen? Das ist Anna.
    May I introduce my girlfriend to you? This is Anna.
  • 2 more sentences on Tatoeba

Example conversation

Lukas introduces his friend to Hannah at a party.

  1. Lukas

    Hallo Hannah, das ist mein Freund Marc.
    Hello Hannah, this is my friend Marc.
  2. Hannah

    Hallo Marc, schön dich kennenzulernen!
    Hello Marc, nice to meet you!
  3. Lukas

    Er kommt aus Berlin.
    He comes from Berlin.
  4. Hannah

    Das ist ja interessant!
    That is very interesting!

Sources

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Lucille Rosie
Lucille RosieHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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