english language

just talked with MTM on irc and we started discussing some language differences between english and languages we speak.. we figured out one thing is obvious in our languages, whilst it is not in english, so i would like someone who is more fluent in english and knows the grammar better to answer me :)

in croatian when you want to say you went somewhere with a friend who is a female, it's obvious because a female friend has its own word, which differs from the word you use for a male friend

however, i don't understand how do you differ that stuff in english.. if you do at all?

if i use the word 'friend', you don't know if it's a guy or a girl. if i use the word 'girlfriend', you don't know if i'm in a relationship with her or it's just a female friend.

is there a way to actually know what someone said at all?
Comments
92
good question sir!
'some girl'
Yea in polish it's like in croatian. English it's simple that's why it became that popular.
Why you bother to write a comment then? :l

I mean, this is a pretty interesting thing, at least for me.
i think girl-friend is a relationship with a girl and girlfriend is a female friend :)
eh, there is no word "girl-friend" and even if there were, how do you say that in spoken language?
Parent
firefox didn't correct it so I assume there is

Besides I asked some british lad
Parent
it didnt correct d35tr0y3r either so it has to be in a dictionary too
Parent
Because there isn't a correction available :)

If you use cyphers than firefox wont correct it :)
Parent
no. it doesnt check words with numbers in them, and words separated with hyphens are checked separately.
Parent
it does for me lol
Parent
if it was a word, it would've been the other way around

and firefox doesn't even know the words "it", "if" or "firefox".
Parent
It does know it and if on my firefox :/
Parent
you're back :DDD hi retard
your the retard
Parent
i know you don't care, obviously you don't know the answer anyway. i'm hoping to get the answer from people who are far more fluent in english than you and me
Went out with a Girl/Lady, or just say friend and wait until they ask more about them and say "she" instead of "he".

edit: Girlfriend means in a relationship
fuck buddy?
They often use the world "girl" to indicate it's a female friend, as in :

I went to some party with a girl last night.
I bought a new car, so I picked up my friend and we went for a drive. -- please use your common sense and tell me was it a girl or a boy. :)
if it was a girl you wouldn't be writing this journal
Parent
fact is it doesnt really matter if your friend is girl or boy, its your friend anyway.
Parent
use his/her name after the friend word
Parent
"a girlfriend" vs. "my girlfriend"?
oh.. that makes sense, didn't think of it.
Parent
"A girlfriend" just makes you sound like a pimp :>
Parent
hahaha :) thats true
Parent
or like a woman
Parent
I dont think there are words for male/female friends. Would be useful...
use this: "girlfriend friend"
professor meez on the job

i went to town with a friend <- probably a dude
i went to town with my hot friend <-- obvious female
Nobel prize in linguistics incomming.
Parent
if we make sure there are no longer gay or ugly people on this planet we can finally use this genius idea!
Parent
in ur case meez hot friend = hentai
Parent
You know you want me honey!
Parent
lol so you coming to an english uni or what? or do u have another year of college
Parent
Year of college yet :o(
Parent
Boyfriend and girlfriend are both correct, but colloquially they tend to denote partnership. A lot of things in English depend on context, but in this case it's more common not to specify a gender.
so those 2 words aren't used only for talking about your partners?
edit: nvm, just read your reply to loctarar
Parent
In most cases if you say boyfriend or girlfriend people will assume you mean your partner. Technically though, their meanings also encompass male or female friends. loctarar made a good point - if you say 'a' instead of 'my' then it's clear what's meant. People just say 'friend' though.
Parent
you got too much time on your hands
Yes, it took us 5 long minutes do discuss and think about it!

But be a real waste of time! And btw, I rather think about some serious things.
Parent
normal girlfriend // fuckin' girlfriend ^^
xd nice, rly
in german its even more fucked up imo.

boy = freund
girl = freundin

girlfriend = freundin.


so whenever i make something with a female friend, and i tell someone about it, and about doing this and that with my freundin, _everyone_ assumes im in a loverelationship with that girl.

well thinking about it, its not more fucked up, its like completely the same as in english :d
same as in dutch and same as in english. The difference is made with "a" or "my".

mein freundin != ein freundin
mijn vriendin != een vriendin
a girlfriend != my girlfriend
Parent
+5 warning points :(
Parent
eine/meine freundin!
Parent
when you talk about your "best friend", and you tell a story about him, or what you both did, you talk about EIN or MEIN freund?


for good friends i always use MEIN , for something more or less like colleagues i use EIN freund.
Parent
eine freundin = a girlfriend
meine freundin = my honeybunny, my precious, my babe, my honeycup, my poonana, my puss, my everything, my hoe ..



is it that hard to differ your love from a female friend?? it doesn't matter what language.
i bet it's more fucked up in other languages :)
Parent
what i said to fabulous
Parent
just say you went somewhere with your " girl m8" or "lady friend".
if a girl says shes been out with her girlfriends, then that doesnt mean shes in a relationship with them. thats quite a common saying

guys will never say that though. they will just say i went somewhere with a few people / mates / guys etc

else if i go somewhere with a girl and i want to be clear that its a female friend i'll just say something like 'some girl' or 'this girl' or 'this girl i know' etc
"else if i go somewhere with a girl and i want to be clear that its a female friend i'll just say something like 'some girl' or 'this girl' or 'this girl i know' etc"

same!
Parent
and when we are talking about english language, i have another question, i thought about this today while walking my dogs.

in austria when someone starts learning english in school, soon anyone will learn the term "its raining cats and dogs" for "its raining heavy" , but is anyone really using this expression?
I see it a lot in movies and tv shows.
Parent
language in tv and movies is not real language spoken "on the streets"
Parent
not really, older people do occasionally
Parent
thought so, thx
Parent
its not really common, it also differs from place to place

eg

south "its rainin' bruv"
north "its pissin' it down"
Parent
exactly what i expected, but who would learn in school something like : "its pissin' it down"

:)
Parent
Only Asians round here say bruv :v
Parent
Only ever really said as a cliché :p

"What's the weather like?" - "It's fuckin' chuckin' / pissin' / heavin' it down"
Parent
in German you can't really differ between someone you're in a relationship with and someone who is just a friend.
mein freundin != ein freundin
Parent
meine freundin != eine freundin ;)
Parent
or that ;) My german seriously sucks. Can understand most of it (if it's written, not spoken) but writing and especially speaking it myself is just baaaaad.
Parent
FRIEND GIRL
+1 (what I'd have said)
Parent
I went to the shops with Bob
I went to the shops with Mary
I went to the shops with ashley :o boy or girl
Parent
I went to the shops with foonr :o boy or girl
Parent
androgynous !
Parent
nice discussion
its so easy in hebrew <3
love israel <3
Parent
so true
ben zona for man
bat zona for women
xD
Parent
Nouns in English don't have a gender. Also seriously lacking any sensible form of accusative, nominative and dative. We should all just speak Latin.
thats so wank. languages dont need he/she forms

for example, say you were talking to your mates about this new person u'd met. if you conveyed they were male in saying 'i met this person' they would be instantly bored.

however, a lack of gender means conversation and interest is piqued by the SHROUD of MYSTERY !

see how much more exciting it gets :o)
Parent
well you'd usually add the name on the end if it was a girl. if its a guy you would usually say "mate" or sumthin, which isn't usually used to describe a male, it's unofficially masculine.
Just look at the context; or a friend of mine, a girl, ...
use woman... so there wont be mistake for "a girl(friend)"

and when talking about "girls" it sounds like you would be Michael Jackson/ Pedobear
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