friends of mine

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "friends of mine" is grammatically correct and commonly used in written English.
It can be used to refer to people who are personally known and considered friends. Example: "I invited some friends of mine to the party tonight."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Friends of mine!

The New York Times

"Friends of mine knew him.

Independent

Friends of mine, colleagues of mine!

The New York Times

All the actors were friends of mine".

The New York Times

"These are all good friends of mine.

The New York Times

They're all friends of mine.

The New York Times

They are friends of mine.

The Guardian - Music

"These are friends of mine.

The New Yorker

Friends of mine sent musical instruments.

The New York Times

Friends of mine lost friends that day.

The Guardian

The top guys, they're friends of mine.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "friends of mine" when referring to a subset of your friends, implying that you have other friends not included in the current context. For example, "Some "friends of mine" are attending the concert, but not all of them."

Common error

Avoid using "friends of me" as it is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "friends of mine", which uses the possessive pronoun.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "friends of mine" functions as a noun phrase, specifically acting as a possessive to denote a relationship. As Ludwig AI explains, this standard grammatical construct highlights a connection to a group of acquaintances.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

98%

Formal & Business

1%

Academia

1%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "friends of mine" is a grammatically correct and very common phrase used to refer to a subset of one's friends. Ludwig AI confirms its widespread usage across various contexts, especially in news and media. It's important to remember that the correct form is "friends of mine", not "friends of me". Alternatives include "acquaintances of mine" or "people I know", but these may alter the intended nuance. When you use "friends of mine", you're generally indicating a selection from a larger group of friends.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

some friends I have

A more descriptive and less direct way of saying "friends of mine".

friends that I have

Similar to "some friends I have", emphasizing the existence of these friends.

my circle of friends

Refers to the entire group of people one considers to be their friends.

mates of mine

A common term for "friends" in British English.

buddies of mine

An informal and familiar term for "friends", often used among men.

pals of mine

Similar to "buddies", this is another informal term for "friends", carrying a slightly old-fashioned connotation.

companions of mine

Emphasizes shared activities or journeys, implying a closer bond than "acquaintances" but not necessarily as strong as "friends".

acquaintances of mine

Replaces "friends" with a more formal term, suggesting a less intimate relationship.

people I know

A more general term that includes both friends and casual acquaintances.

people close to me

Indicates a deeper level of emotional connection than just "friends".

FAQs

How can I use "friends of mine" in a sentence?

You can use "friends of mine" to refer to some, but not necessarily all, of your friends. For example, "I went to the movies with some "friends of mine" last night."

Is it correct to say "friends of me" instead of "friends of mine"?

No, "friends of me" is grammatically incorrect. The correct possessive form is ""friends of mine"".

What is a more formal alternative to "friends of mine"?

A more formal alternative could be "acquaintances of mine", although it implies a less close relationship.

How does "friends of mine" differ from "my friends"?

While both refer to your friends, ""friends of mine"" often suggests you're talking about a subset of your friends, while "my friends" can refer to all of them. "My friends and I went to the park" implies all your friends went, versus "Friends of mine and I went to the park" which implies it was only some.