pal
gb/pˈæl/ us/pˈæl/
A2
English
~ 6200
haver, barátom, együtt lóg, bandázik, haverkodik
NOUN
A2
INFORMAL
1
haver
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s pal; a pal of [someone]
I’m going to the game with a few pals from work.
A meccsre néhány munkahelyi haverommal megyek.
We’ve been pals since we were ten years old.
Tízéves korunk óta haverok vagyunk.
She’s my best pal; I tell her everything.
He met some new pals on his language course.
My old school pals still meet up every year.
Learner examples
Tom is my best pal.
Tom a legjobb haverom.
I had many pals when I was a child.
Gyerekkoromban sok haverom volt.
She is a good pal from my class.
I went to the park with my pals.
He made a new pal at work.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'pal' in very formal writing (for example, in business emails or academic essays). In those situations, 'friend' or 'colleague' is better. Also, in British English, 'mate' is often more common than 'pal' in casual speech, but they are not always interchangeable in set phrases (e.g., 'pen pal', not *'pen mate').
Meaning
a close friend or buddy
Collocations
old pal
|childhood pal
|school pal
|best pal
|close pal
|drinking pal
Synonyms
friend (Most common neutral word; used in all kinds of situations, including formal ones, unlike the more informal 'pal'.)
|
buddy (Very similar informal tone to 'pal', slightly more common in American English.)
|
mate (Common in British, Irish, and Australian English; can be slightly rougher or more casual than 'pal' depending on context.)
Antonyms
enemy (Someone who dislikes or opposes you, the opposite of a friendly pal.)
|
stranger (Someone you do not know at all, unlike a pal who you know well.)
Themes
daily life
|relationships
|communication
|daily_life
Definition
A person who is your good friend; a buddy.
A person you know well and like a lot; a close friend, often used in a warm or casual way.
NOUN
B1
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
'hey, pal'; 'listen, pal'
Hey, pal, you dropped your wallet.
Hé, haver, elejtetted a pénztárcádat.
Listen, pal, you can’t talk to her like that.
Ide figyelj, barátom, nem beszélhetsz így vele.
Easy there, pal, it was just a joke.
Look, pal, I’m just doing my job.
All right, pal, that’s enough for today.
Learner examples
Hey, pal, is this seat free?
Hé, haver, szabad ez a hely?
Listen, pal, you are in my place.
Figyelj, haver, a helyemen ülsz.
Easy, pal, we have time.
Look, pal, I can’t help you today.
Sorry, pal, I don’t have any cash.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'pal' as a form of address in situations where it sounds unnatural or rude, such as speaking to a teacher, boss, or stranger in a clearly formal context. In those cases, use 'sir', 'ma’am', or the person’s name instead. Also, tone of voice changes the meaning a lot: said sharply, 'pal' can sound angry or threatening.
Meaning
informal way to address a man
Collocations
hey, pal
|easy there, pal
|listen, pal
|look here, pal
Synonyms
buddy (Used in a very similar way in North American English; can sound friendly or mildly confrontational depending on tone.)
|
mate (Common in British and Australian English; often friendlier and more everyday than 'pal' as a form of address.)
|
man (Used to address someone informally ('hey, man'); lacks the slightly old-fashioned or confrontational feel that 'pal' can have.)
Antonyms
sir (A polite and respectful form of address, usually formal or deferential, unlike the casual or brusque 'pal'.)
Themes
daily life
|conversation
|communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A casual word you say to a man when talking to him, sometimes friendly, sometimes a bit angry.
An informal word used to address a man, sometimes friendly but often slightly firm, annoyed, or confrontational in tone.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
to pal around (with) [someone]; to pal up with [someone]
In college he mostly palled around with the drama students.
Az egyetemen többnyire a drámás diákokkal lógott együtt.
She used to pal around with a group of local musicians.
Régebben egy csapat helyi zenésszel lógott együtt.
The kids are always palling around together after school.
He started palling up with the older boys on the street.
These days I don’t pal around with my old teammates much.
Learner examples
He liked to pal around with his cousins.
Szeretett az unokatestvéreivel együtt lógni.
We palled around together every weekend.
Minden hétvégén együtt lógtunk.
At school she palled around with the cool kids.
He doesn’t pal around with them anymore.
She palled up with some students from Spain.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use the verb without its usual particles, saying things like *'I pal with him'* instead of 'I pal around with him.' In most modern English, 'pal' as a verb is normally used in fixed patterns such as 'pal around (with)' or 'pal up (with)'. Also, 'hang out (with)' is more common in everyday speech, so 'pal around' can sound a bit old-fashioned or regional in some areas.
Meaning
to spend time socially as friends
Collocations
pal around with
|pal up with
|palling around
|palled around together
Synonyms
hang out (with) (Very close in meaning; even more common in modern informal English, especially among younger speakers.)
|
chill with (Slangy and very informal; focused on relaxing together rather than just being friends generally.)
|
socialize with (More formal and general; can be used for friendly contact but lacks the strong sense of close friendship in 'pal'.)
Antonyms
avoid (To stay away from someone deliberately, the opposite of spending relaxed, friendly time with them.)
|
shun (To refuse to be with someone, especially on purpose, which contrasts with choosing to 'pal around' with them.)
Themes
daily life
|relationships
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To be with someone a lot in a friendly way and do fun or normal things together.
To spend time with someone in a friendly, relaxed way; to act as close friends, often regularly.
Grammar
Dictionary form
pal
IPA
GB/pˈæl/
US/pˈæl/
Syllables & stress
pal (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (pal)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: pal
- Plural: pals
Verb
- Base: pal
- 3rd Person Singular: pals
- Present Participle: paling
- Past: paled
Word family
Forms
pals
noun
paling
verb
paled
verb
Related words
pally
adjective
Expressions
a pal of mine
1/ə pˈæl əv mˈaɪn/
fixed phrase
informal
one of my friends
One of my friends; a friend that I know well.
Examples
- A pal of mine just moved to Berlin.
- I heard it from a pal of mine who works there.
- A pal of mine can get us cheap tickets.
be pals with
1/bˈi pˈælz wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
informal
to be friends with someone
To be friends with someone; to have a friendly relationship with them.
Examples
- She’s pals with almost everyone in the office.
- He used to be pals with my brother in high school.
- Are you still pals with your old roommate?
best pal
1/bˈɛst pˈæl/
fixed phrase
informal
closest or favorite friend
Your very closest friend; your number one friend.
Examples
- We’ve been best pals since kindergarten.
- My dog is my best pal when I feel sad.
- She’s my best pal, and I trust her completely.
hey, pal
1/hˈeɪ | pˈæl/
fixed phrase
informal
informal way to get a man’s attention
An informal way to call to a man, sometimes friendly, sometimes a bit angry or rude, depending on your voice.
Examples
- Hey, pal, you dropped something.
- Hey, pal, calm down a second.
- Hey, pal, this line starts back there.
old pal
1/ˈoʊld pˈæl/
fixed phrase
informal
friend known for a long time
A friend you have known for many years.
Examples
- We ran into an old pal from college at the airport.
- He’s an old pal of my dad’s from the army.
- I’m having dinner with an old pal tonight.
pal around (with)
1/pˈæl ɚˈaʊnd wˈɪθ/
phrasal verb
informal
spend relaxed time with friends
To spend a lot of relaxed, friendly time with someone, usually doing simple or fun things together.
Examples
- He used to pal around with a group of skateboarders after school.
- We palled around with our neighbors all summer.
- These days she mostly pals around with people from work.
pal up (with)
1/pˈæl ˈʌp wˈɪθ/
phrasal verb
informal
become friendly and start hanging out
To become friends with someone and start spending time together.
Examples
- On the first day of camp, he quickly palled up with two boys from his cabin.
- She palled up with a girl from Italy during the exchange program.
- New students often pal up with people from their own country at first.
pen pal
1/pˈɛn pˈæl/
fixed phrase
friend you exchange letters with
A friend who writes letters to you, often living far away.
Examples
- I have a pen pal in Japan.
- I had a French pen pal when I was in middle school.
- She met her husband through a pen pal program.
- We met online as pen pals and later visited each other.
- Her class started a pen pal project with a school in Canada.