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ESL forum >
Ask for help > Girlfriends and boyfriends
Girlfriends and boyfriends
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stexstme
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Lindsey,
That �s what I thought ...I was taught - & teach..- British English, & never heard girlfriend used that way...But Zuzana did hear it in the UK :-S
AB, I know about Wikipedia ; That �s why I asked you ;o)
Thank you both!! & others too : I love learning on the Forum! Esp from native speakers : They often give us very useful info, as far as usage is concerned! |
10 Jun 2010
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ELOJOLIE274
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when I lived in England i heard my host mum (i was an au pair as well) talk about her girlfriend(s)!
but during my year in St Paul, MN, i had a nice chat with one of my students (i was a French assistant in a college - we were talking about how to know the difference btw "mon ami/amie"), and she told me that she said girlfriends/boyfriends often (to talk about a group of friends) and yet she would never say "i �m going out with my girlfriend tonight" - she used the singular form of "girlfriend/boyfriend" to talk about a lover, not a friend...
but since I was in a college and my students were quite open about their sexual preferences, I assumed that it was to make sure no confusion could be made... would you agree with me???
Elodie
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10 Jun 2010
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Lina Ladybird
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Dear Zuzana,
I am also used to hearing British English and I �m as sure as you about the use of the word "girlfriend". Girls and women in GB / the UK do use it when they refer to their female friends! Definitely!! ;))
Have a lovely day - Silke
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10 Jun 2010
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stexstme
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 Now, Sylvie is lost too!!!!!!!
OK, people : I �ll be glad to read further comments tonight!!  Amazing how a single word can have different interpretations, hmm?? ( Culture...)
It reminds me of a painful experience, as a young teacher : I once told my class & their English penfriends who were attending my classes, to get their French letters out...  - which - of course!!! - were letters from France! Sigh....
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10 Jun 2010
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alien boy
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Sylvie: hahahaha!
There are similar problems occasionally between North American English & Australian English (root/s/ing) as well as some older British English & Australian English too (Durex, anyone?)
I�m sure I�ve heard �girlfriend/s� used in American movies & TV shows. I know my step daughter used the phrases a lot during the late 90�s.
Cheers, AB
P.S. Thanks for the vote of confidence Douglas! |
10 Jun 2010
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yanogator
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Hey, AB,
When you said "even Wikipedia", I would have said "especially Wikipedia", since the articles there are not necessarily researched, and anyone can go in and make changes to what is written.
Here in the US, females defiinitely go out with a group of girlfriends, but in the singular, they would say "one of my girlfriends" or "a girlfriend", but never "my girlfriend", as was already said about the UK.
Also, I agree academically about using "girl friend" and "boy friend", but don �t see it in actual use, except in using emphasis to clarify a relationship. "No, she �s not my girlfriend. She �s just a girl friend." In regular speech, no one would hear the difference between "girlfriend" and "girl friend" anyway.
Bruce |
10 Jun 2010
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lshorton99
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Interesting! Maybe it �s different social groups or regions within the UK?! I know within my �group � we wouldn �t use it. Also, I say �awesome � a lot when something is good and that comes from American English which has a great influence on British English nowadays. I would say I watch more American television than British televsion and that has affected my own spoken language, although this is mainly in terms of lexis as opposed to grammar or spelling. I shall conduct further research among my friends and get back to you!!!!!
Lindsey
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10 Jun 2010
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Jayho
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Well, here�s my two cents worth.
Everything that AB said is spot on in Australia. Admittedly, some women do feel uncomfortable using this term but I think it is becoming more common.
Sometimes, when women say that they are going somewhere with a friend people often assume that it is a male friend so it is important then to specify girlfriend so that the tongues don�t start wagging.
I guess it often comes down to who you are talking to. For example, depending on who I am talking to I might say I am going out with my girlfriends, the girls or just a group of friends. Or, if it is just one person I am going out with I would say a girlfriend (not my) or a friend depending on who I am talking to.
Now, males here never have boyfriends unless it is as a romantic attachment (and even then I think other words are generally used such as partner). It �s always mates or friends. Can�t speak for other countries though. Males here also don�t hug like they do in the Hollywood movies - do they do that in real life? I wonder.
Cheers
Jayho |
10 Jun 2010
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kaz76
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I think that using girlfriends for your female friends is becoming more common in the UK now depending on your background, age and group.
Karen |
10 Jun 2010
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as I did hear it in Brighton, many times, and I am sure that the lady was not being ironic....but thank you again! I do appreciate your effort so much!