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JuanZZZ Posted 20 years ago
Vocabulary
Girlfriend
If you talk about a friend who is a woman, can you refer to her as your "girlfriend"?
Or is it that girlfriend refers only to someone with whom you have a romantic relationship?
Or is it that girlfriend refers only to someone with whom you have a romantic relationship?
Top answer
Hello Juan When native speakers say "girl friend" to mean "friend who is a girl", it does sometimes lead to misunderstandings. But people still say it; so the answer to your question is "yes". In written English, it's easier to distinguish, as you can use "girlfriend" for the romantic and "girl friend" for the non-romantic meaning.
- Hello Juan When native speakers say "girl friend" to mean "friend who is a girl", it does sometimes lead to misunderstandings.
- But people still say it; so the answer to your question is "yes".
- In written English, it's easier to distinguish, as you can use "girlfriend" for the romantic and "girl friend" for the non-romantic meaning.
- MrP
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6 Answers
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Hello Juan
When native speakers say "girl friend" to mean "friend who is a girl", it does sometimes lead to misunderstandings. But people still say it; so the answer to your question is "yes".
In written English, it's easier to distinguish, as you can use "girlfriend" for the romantic and "girl friend" for the non-romantic meaning.
MrP
When native speakers say "girl friend" to mean "friend who is a girl", it does sometimes lead to misunderstandings. But people still say it; so the answer to your question is "yes".
In written English, it's easier to distinguish, as you can use "girlfriend" for the romantic and "girl friend" for the non-romantic meaning.
MrP
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Thanks MrPedantic
And besides girl friend, are there any other choices in speaking English?
And besides girl friend, are there any other choices in speaking English?
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The most common is SO or significant other to refer to one’s partner, one’s girlfriend or one’s boyfriend, one’s sweetheart, one’s soul-mate, one’s spouse, and one’s better half.
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Hi,
If you talk about a friend who is a woman, can you refer to her as your "girlfriend"?
If no romance is involved, only a woman would refer to another woman as her girlfriend. Women say this quite commonly. However, a man wouldn't say this. He'd probably just say 'She's my friend'.
Best wishes, Clive
If you talk about a friend who is a woman, can you refer to her as your "girlfriend"?
If no romance is involved, only a woman would refer to another woman as her girlfriend. Women say this quite commonly. However, a man wouldn't say this. He'd probably just say 'She's my friend'.
Best wishes, Clive
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Hmm. It may be a little different over here, in that case – it probably is more common for women to refer to other women as "girlfriends/girl friends"; but I have a couple of male acquaintances in mind who have confused me in the past, with the "non-romantic" usage.
MrP
MrP
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I think it depends on the situation. When you are talking about friends, "girlfriend" can refer to "a friend who is woman", but when you are talking about love, romantic films or some things like that, "girlfriend" could refer to "lover" or "darling". In Australia, normally, when a man talks about his "girlfriend", it means his lover. But some of my friends in US or UK use "
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