a friend of his

USAGE SUMMARY

"a friend of his" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to someone that a third person knows, to give additional information about the person. For example: John invited some of his friends to the party, including Steve, a friend of his from university.

✓ Grammatically correct

Autism

Wikipedia

The New York Times

The Guardian

The New Yorker

The New York Times - Style

The Economist

The New York Times - Tech

The New York Times - Sports

The Guardian - Books

Independent

BBC

TechCrunch

Comparative Migration Studies

Forbes

Vice

WikiHow

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

One day, a lady called and invited him to dinner, explaining that she was a friend of his parents.

Autism

During his time in Buitenzorg, he studied painting under Raden Saleh, a friend of his father's.

Wikipedia

I knew a friend of his.

The New York Times

"She a friend of his mother's right?

The Guardian

He ran into a friend of his.

The New Yorker

(She is a friend of his daughters).

The New York Times - Style

"Just because it was a friend of his".

The New Yorker

A friend of his, Richard Johnson, 29, passed by.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

3 human-written examples

Mr. Makowski had been a friend of his nephew's, Mr. Puma said.

The New York Times

Mr. Lopez said the gun belonged to a friend of his son.

The New York Times

"I once hired a guy," a friend of his recalled.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider your audience and context. While "a friend of his" is generally acceptable, more formal settings might benefit from rephrasing to avoid possessive pronouns.

Common error

Avoid using "a friend of his" when you simply mean "his friend". "His friend" is more direct and appropriate when the possessive relationship is clear and doesn't need further clarification.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a friend of his" functions as a possessive noun phrase, identifying a friend that belongs to the person indicated by "his". As Ludwig AI indicates, this construction is commonly used and grammatically sound.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Wiki

10%

Science

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a friend of his" is a grammatically correct and widely used possessive construction to indicate a friend belonging to a specific individual. As Ludwig AI points out, it is suitable for various contexts, from informal conversations to formal writing, though more direct phrasing like "his friend" may sometimes be preferable for clarity. The phrase appears most frequently in news and media sources, and less so in highly formal or scientific contexts. Be mindful of context and audience when choosing between "a friend of his" and simpler alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

someone he knows

A more general term indicating familiarity without specifying the nature of the relationship.

a pal of his

An informal and colloquial alternative to friend.

a buddy of his

Similar to 'pal', suggesting a close, informal friendship.

a colleague of his

Focuses on a professional relationship, suggesting someone he works with.

a person he is acquainted with

A formal way of stating that they know each other.

an acquaintance of his

Indicates a casual or superficial connection, less intimate than a friend.

one of his associates

A more formal term, suggesting a professional or business connection.

a crony of his

Suggests a close companion, potentially with negative connotations of favoritism.

a contact of his

Indicates a connection that might be primarily for information or assistance.

a comrade of his

Implies a shared struggle or activity, often used in political or military contexts.

FAQs

How can I use "a friend of his" in a sentence?

Use "a friend of his" to indicate that someone is a friend belonging to the person you are talking about. For example: "He went to the movies with "a friend of his" from college."

What is the difference between "his friend" and "a friend of his"?

"His friend" is a straightforward possessive, indicating a direct relationship. "A friend of his" emphasizes that the friend is part of a larger group of friends he has, providing more context about the relationship.

When is it appropriate to use "a friend of his" instead of just "his friend"?

Use "a friend of his" when you want to clarify that the friend is one among several friends he has, or when the possessive relationship might be ambiguous without the extra context. Otherwise, "his friend" is often sufficient.

Are there any situations where using "a friend of his" would be incorrect?

It is rarely incorrect, but sometimes less elegant than the simpler "his friend" if the possessive is already clear. Overuse can sound repetitive, so vary your phrasing.