freundin

Freundin is a German noun that designates a female friend or a girlfriend. It is the feminine form of Freund and is used to refer to women in both platonic and romantic relationships. In everyday speech, context often determines whether it means a close female friend or a romantic partner. For example, “eine gute Freundin” means a good female friend, while “meine feste Freundin” typically means my steady girlfriend. The plural is Freundinnen, and possessives follow standard patterns: meine Freundin, deine Freundinnen, etc.

The word derives from the same Germanic root as the masculine Freund and shares the sense of affection and companionship. As a noun, Freundin is capitalized in German and changes for case and number (die Freundin, der Freundin, die Freundinnen, etc.). Common phrases include “beste Freundin” (best friend), “Freundeskreis” (circle of friends), and “mit meiner Freundin” (with my girlfriend or female friend), depending on context.

Usage notes: in some contexts, especially in dating or romantic conversation, the term clearly indicates a partner, while in others it simply denotes a female friend. In German-speaking regions, the nuance is generally clear from accompanying adjectives or verbs, but ambiguity can arise without context. If necessary, qualifiers like “eine gute Freundin” or “meine feste Freundin” provide clarification.

See also: Freund (masculine counterpart), Beziehung (relationship).