French · People & Family
"We're friends" in French: on est amis
on est amis
Note: formal: nous sommes amis
We are friends in French is on est amis — everyday spoken we. More formal: nous sommes amis. On est juste amis can mean just friends.
Introducing people
Lui et moi, on est amis depuis lycée.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce on est amis
Say it
ohn eh ah-MEE
/ɔ̃ ɛ a.mi/
On est: ohn eh. Amis: ah-MEE. Soft s often silent: ohn eh ah-MEE.
"We're friends" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| on est amis | we are friends Default spoken. | Default spoken. |
| nous sommes amis | we are friends More formal/careful. | More formal/careful. |
| on est juste amis | we're just friends Clarifying romance. | Clarifying romance. |
| devenir amis | to become friends Process. | Process. |
How to use on est amis in real life
- 1Introducing people
Lui et moi, on est amis depuis lycée.
He and I have been friends since high school.
Full phrase.
- 2Group chat
Relax — on est amis, pas des rivaux.
Relax—we're friends, not rivals.
Reassurance.
- 3Clarify romance
Non, on est amis, rien de plus.
No, we're friends, nothing more.
Boundary.
Mistakes English speakers make with on est amis
Incorrect: On est amies (said of two men).
Correct: On est amis.
Amis is the mixed/masculine default; amies is for all-women groups.
Incorrect: On est friends.
Correct: On est amis.
Use amis, not English friends.
Good to know
On est amis is the default oral form; nous sommes amis sounds stiffer. French sometimes distinguishes ami and copain; amis still covers warm friendship in most contexts.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Explaining a social circle
ChatPal
Vous êtes ensemble, ou on est amis seulement ?
Are you a couple, or just friends?
You
On est amis, c'est tout.
We're friends, that's all.
ChatPal
Cool. Moi aussi, on est amis avec sa sœur.
Cool. I'm friends with her sister too.
You
Elle est super sympa.
She's really nice.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"We're friends" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "We're friends" in French
How do you say we are friends in French?
On est amis.
What is the formal version?
Nous sommes amis.
How do you say just friends?
On est juste amis.
How do you pronounce amis?
ah-MEE.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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