amies

Amies is the feminine plural form of the French noun amie, meaning a female friend. It refers to a group of women who are friends or female companions.

In French, the gendered system means there is a separate masculine plural, amis, used for groups of men or mixed-gender groups. Amies is used specifically when all members of the group are female. This distinction affects agreement with verbs and adjectives, which must align with the gender and number of the noun.

Etymology: amie derives from the Latin amica (female friend), related to amīcus for male friends. The modern pair amis and amies reflects the gendered noun system that French inherited from Latin, with amies forming the feminine plural.

Usage notes: Amies appears in everyday and literary French whenever referring to a group of female friends. Common phrases include mes amies (my female friends), les amies d’enfance (childhood friends), or elles sont mes amies. When describing mixed groups, speakers typically use amis, even if several members are women.

See also: ami, amie, amitié. These related terms cover the broader concept of friendship in French, including masculine forms and the idea of friendship beyond gendered terms.