Australian Slang For Girlfriend (Explained!)

Australians more commonly refer to their girlfriends by the kind of generic slang you might hear elsewhere in the English speaking world, such as babe or sweetie. However, some specifically Australian examples of slang include the old classic “Sheila”, “missus” or just “love”.

Australians share a great deal of their slang with the rest of the English speaking world, so most of them are likely to use a slang phrase for girlfriend that you’d also hear elsewhere.

That said, the Australian slang terms for girlfriend are very much still in use, if to a lesser extent than they once were.

Let’s find out more

In This Article

What do Australians call their girlfriends?

Australians have a few different options for what they might call their girlfriend.

Again, I would just like to stress the point that Australian English is still just English.

They share most of the rest of the same media, in terms of films and TV, as the rest of us do.

That means language proliferates through this means in the same way to them as it does to us.

The most likely terms you’ll hear used are those you’re probably already familiar with. Common terms of endearment such as babe, baby, honey, sweetie and so on.

These are very common across all of Australia.

Having said that, there are certainly a few slang terms still in use in Australia for girlfriend which you probably won’t hear anywhere else, or only in very limited places elsewhere.

Sheila

The most quintessentially Australian is “Sheila”. This has, for a long time, been a slang term for a woman in Australia.

More recently, it became a slang term for someone’s wife or girlfriend.

Example in a sentence: “I’ve got to go see the Sheila”

Missus

Other than that, another very commonly used Australian slang term for girlfriend is “missus”.

There are also parts of the UK where you will hear this term, but it is far more widespread in Australia.

You might think this would be reserved for a wife, but not necessarily.

It could also be used for your girlfriend.

Example in a sentence: “The missus wants me home by 9!”

Love

Finally, the other one you might hear that isn’t really used in the same way outside of Australia is “love”.

Now, I’m sure you’ve probably heard someone call their girlfriend love outside of Australia, but the sense is just slightly different.

It’s more of a light term of endearment, and it’s also used in unfamiliar settings, such as a shop.

So, it is also used in this same way to refer to a girlfriend.

Example in a sentence: “Thanks for doing the dinner love!”

Why do Australians say missus?

So, where does this term “missus” come from?

It’s a rather old term, and though it didn’t originate in Australia, it’s used very commonly across Australia today.

Though it might sound like a way to refer to your “Mrs”, as in, your wife, the truth is a lot more complicated.

Originally, the term derived from the word “mistress” rather than “mrs”.

It was simply an informal pronunciation of the term mistress, and originated in the late 18^th Century, in England.

Mistress had a couple of meanings here, including a governess or woman otherwise employed in a household and unmarried.

It could also mean just the woman of the household or a high-ranking woman.

It didn’t necessarily mean someone a man was sleeping with other than his wife.

This, too, was precisely the time that the British were colonizing Australia, so it’s likely been in use by Australian settlers since the earliest days!

Why do Australians say Sheila?

This is another one that has a very long history in Australian slang.

It’s been in use since at least the early 19^th Century, although its meaning has considerably narrowed over time.

Originally, the term “Sheila” meant a woman of Irish descent.

Our first written example of this comes from 1832.

By the end of the 19^th Century, though, it had come to mean any woman or girl, of any age.

Naturally, then, that eventually progressed to become generic slang for a girlfriend or wife.

When this happened is unclear, though it was likely quite a late shift—probably the mid to late 20^th Century at the earliest.

Admittedly, as most Australians will tell you, this term is very much in decline now.

It is nowhere near as widely used as it once was, and most Australians might simply use it as an attempt at irony rather than any sincere expression.

But it is still in use.

Can you call a girl mate in Australia?

Yes, you can call a girl mate in Australia. The term is bread and butter of Australian slang, and it overcomes all boundaries in terms of sex, age, gender and any other classification you might put on a person.

That said, it’s probably not necessarily something you would use to refer to your girlfriend.

Except in certain playful circumstances, “mate” would probably seem impersonal and distant, as opposed to some of the endearing terms we’ve looked at so far.

But, again, there’s nothing wrong with calling a girl, no matter how familiar with her you are, mate in Australia.

Those with girlfriends in Australia might refer to them by any number of different terms, then.

Again, the most likely slang terms you’ll hear used are simply those that are used in the U.K., the U.S., and any other English speaking country.

That said, there are some quintessentially Australian slang terms for girlfriend that are actually in widespread use.

More in Australian Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

Was this article helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!