# All Slavic: Distinction between friend (f) and girlfriend



## arn00b

Does your language have a distinct word for female friend and a distinct one for girlfriend?  Or is there just one term that applies to both that is explained by context ("just a friend," "we're not together" etc)?  

In case of ambiguous word (like German Freundin) is the word used more to mean "friend" or "girlfriend"?  

What about the male equivalent?

Thanks, everyone.


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## Enquiring Mind

Hi arn00b, as far as Russian goes, there are a couple of useful threads here and here.


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## Jeki

In Serbian there is a a distinct word. Friend is *drugarica *and girlfriend is *devojka*.


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## markovljev lanac

In Croatian_ female friend_ is *frendica* (informal) / *prijateljica* (formal) whereas _girlfriend_ is *cura* (informal) / *djevojka* (formal).


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## Xpshnik

As for Ukrainian, there are distinct words for female friend and girlfriend:
*Female friend* - *подруга/приятелька*
*Girlfriend* - *дівчина*(дівчина also means girl)
So, in fact, saying дівчина we distinguish between girlfriend and girl by context, but when we say female friend - we use distinct words such as подруга and приятелька)


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## Chrzaszcz Saproksyliczny

In Polish today, you have _your girl_ or _your boy_ ('chłopak', 'dziewczyna' -> 'mam chłopaka', 'mam dziewczynę'), so there is no confusion with _friend, _only a common term with a general word for a young female or male.  However, there is still this word _kolega_, _koleżanka_ in use, which may mean anything from your co-worker to someone you casually sleep with.


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## marco_2

Chrzaszcz Saproksyliczny said:


> In Polish today, you have _your girl_ or _your boy_ ('chłopak', 'dziewczyna' -> 'mam chłopaka', 'mam dziewczynę'), so there is no confusion with _friend, _only a common term with a general word for a young female or male.  However, there is still this word _kolega_, _koleżanka_ in use, which may mean anything from your co-worker to someone you casually sleep with.



Not exactly - when you suggest sleeping with someone, you use the words *przyjaciel / przyjaciółka. *A sexual partner (even occasional) stops being your _kolega / koleżanka._


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## Chrzaszcz Saproksyliczny

Depends. I've heard either as an evasive word for a sex partner. Both ways, _dziewczyna / chłopak_ (girl[friend], boy[friend]) are more obvious terms in most contexts.


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## M_L_P

In Slovene:
friend: prijateljica
girlfriend: dekle / punca (informal)

It goes for the other gender too:
friend: prijatelj
boyfriend: fant


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## nimak

Distinct words in *Macedonian* too:

_female friend_ = *другарка* (drúgarka), *пријателка* (prijátelka)
_girlfriend_ = *девојка* (dévojka)
_girl_ = *девојка* (dévojka), _in some dialects also_ *чупа* (čúpa), *мома* (móma)


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