Friends by Bruce Sallee and David Hebert
The following vocabulary list includes some common French terms for friends.
Table 19-3
Your Friends
French |
English |
un ami |
male friend |
une amie |
female friend |
le copain (m) |
male friend, pal, mate |
la copine (f) |
female friend, pal, mate |
le petit ami |
boyfriend |
la petite amie |
girlfriend |
le voisin |
male neighbor |
la voisine |
female neighbor |
There is a subtle difference in meaning between the terms un ami and un copain in French. In French, un ami is a very endearing term; it is used only for the closest of friends. In English, we sometimes assign a broad meaning to the term “friends,” so the words are not really interchangeable. A person can go through life having many copains, but he or she will have a select few true amis.
