When I was learning English, I just learned the word 'friend'.
Now I begin watching some British TV series, I hear the characters say 'You're my mate', 'He's my mate', 'Cheers mate', etc.
There seems to be some subtle differences between 'friend' and 'mate', but I can't tell. In which situation(s) would 'mate' be more appropriate than 'friend'?
Best Answer
Friend is the term used in AmE meaning someone with whom you have a bond.
Mate is the term used in BrE to refer to a friend (in the AmE sense) but may also be a cordial way of referring to another person whom you may or may not know.
These two phrases are equivalent in their respective meaning of someone close
In AmE, one's mate is usually though of as one's significant other or romantic partner.
These phrases are equivalent ways of greeting someone:
In BrE, "Hey mate!" can be used as a general greeting (usually amoung males), however
"Hello friend!" is usually not used in AmE, more often "Hi there!" might be used.
Without any context, if a boy and a girl are said to be friendly
One would never say they are matey.
Other BrE words which convey friendship are pal and chum.
Pal is more often used in Scotland than mate but is interchangeable in meaning.
When two people are chummy, they are very close friends.
Chums was a parody of the AmE series Friends.