American
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American
A colloquial and often casual term for a person from the United States of America (USA). Depending on the context, the term can be neutral, friendly, or slightly derogatory.
Mein neuer Nachbar ist ein Ami aus Texas.
My new neighbor is an American from Texas.
'Ami' (American) is a colloquial short form of the word 'Amerikaner' (American). Such shortenings are common in spoken language.
In meiner Klasse sind zwei Amis aus Kalifornien.
There are two Americans from California in my class.
This word is mainly used in colloquial speech. Depending on the context and speaker, the tone can sound neutral, friendly, or even slightly disrespectful, so it should be used with care.
Er hat ein Jahr bei den Amis gelebt und spricht jetzt fließend Englisch.
He lived with the Americans for a year and now speaks fluent English.
In formal situations, such as official texts or news reports, instead of 'Ami' (American), you should use the neutral term 'US-Amerikaner' (U.S. American) or 'Person aus den USA' (person from the USA).
Die Studie wurde von US-amerikanischen Forschern durchgeführt.
The study was conducted by U.S. researchers.
American
'der Amerikaner' and 'der Ami' can both mean a man or person from the USA. 'der Amerikaner' is neutral and fits in almost all situations, including official or polite conversations. 'der Ami' is colloquial and sounds more casual. Depending on the tone, it can sound friendly, but also somewhat derogatory. At school, at work, or in formal texts, 'Amerikaner' is usually safer. 'Ami' is more suitable for casual conversations among friends.
Mein Bruder nennt seinen Freund aus Chicago manchmal scherzhaft einen Ami.
My brother sometimes jokingly calls his friend from Chicago an Ami.
Der Amerikaner arbeitet seit zwei Jahren in Berlin.
The American has been working in Berlin for two years.