What does 'mate' mean in British English?

What it means: A friend, or a casual, friendly form of address. "Mate" is one of the most flexible words in British informal English - it can mean friend, it can address a stranger, or it can add warmth to almost anything.

• "How are you, mate?" (addressing a friend)
• "Thanks, mate." (friendly acknowledgement to anyone)
• "My mate Dave..." (introducing a friend)
• "Cheers mate." (expressing thanks informally)

When it addresses a stranger: If someone says "alright, mate?" to you on the street, they're being friendly and casual - not suggesting you're actually friends. It's a social lubricant.

When it's NOT warm: "Mate." said slowly and seriously at the start of a sentence often signals that what follows is a criticism or a problem. "Mate. What were you thinking?" The single word creates a pause before bad news.

Australian English: "Mate" is even more prominent in Australian English, where it's almost a national cultural symbol - used constantly between men (and sometimes women) in almost every context.

A native American would say: "buddy," "pal," "dude" - all fill similar roles in American informal English.

Register: Informal. Very common between men in British and Australian English. Women also use it but less universally.

Tags: British English, Australian English, friendship, informal, address