Female French friend

AMIE

Think of how you’d address a close girlfriend in Paris, but drop the "e" for a male pal.

The clue "Female French friend" points to the French word for a female friend, which is "amie." In French, nouns have gender, so "ami" means a male friend while "amie" specifically refers to a female one. Since crosswords often use foreign words, knowing basic French terms like this helps solve it quickly. The answer fits neatly as a short, four-letter word.