‘There are 9 rules to follow if you want to be a good friend to your single friends.'

Having lived on all sides of the relationship spectrum — married for years, divorced, coupled-up again, and now happily flying solo — I've got a unique perspective on the single/coupled friendship dynamics.

Both coupledom and being single have their pros and cons. But it doesn't have to divide us; we can be at different stages in our lives and still connect as girlfriends.

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Bridging the gap guidelines.

Here are some modern etiquette guides to bridging the gap between us single gals and our (very valued and cherished) coupled-up friends.

We're not allergic to even numbers.

We don't mind being a third, fifth or seventh wheel. We're happy to attend your couple-heavy dinner parties, or group holidays and will likely bring the best stories (and the best wine). Plus, who else will entertain you with dating app disasters that make you secretly grateful you're not swiping anymore?

Questions to avoid.

"Why are you still single?" (Because we have not met the person worthy of us yet is the answer.) "How's the love life?" (Translation: Please justify your existence without a partner).

Instead, a revolutionary idea: ask us about our lives, careers, that pottery class we started, or our thoughts on the universe. We promise to tell you if we've met someone interesting.

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Chill your inner matchmaker.

We adore that you want us to find love, truly. But before introducing us to your husband's "amazing" colleague who collects stamps, maybe check if we're actually looking. When we want your matchmaking superpowers, we'll send up the Bat Signal.

The "just friends" truth detector.

If we mention a male human in conversation, resist the urge to raise your eyebrows suggestively. If we say we are "just friends," it's likely we are... just friends. And the same privacy you'd expect in regard to your relationship applies to our dating life — no spontaneous interrogations in group settings, please.

Dating apps are not a group sport.

Yes, we know it looks like a fun game to swipe through strangers while drinking wine. But for us, these are actually real people and real conversations — and now we have to awkwardly unmatch with the 17 people that you thought had "kind eyes." Maybe we can just watch The Bachelor instead?

We are not after your husbands (seriously).

This one applies more to single mums and acquaintances. If we strike up small talk at school pick up or have commentary on the sports sideline with your husband, we are not hitting on him. We are just a human having a conversation with another human. We promise.

We're not a problem to be solved.

Our singlehood isn't a mysterious ailment requiring intervention. Sometimes it's a conscious, joyful choice. We don't need to be fixed — we might actually be thriving in our single-person living arrangement where we don't have fights over whose turn it is to take out the rubbish.

Bonus round: what we could all do better.

Time translation services for singles: Remember that your coupled friends can't always drop everything for spontaneous Tuesday cocktails — they have another human to consider.

Couples: Understand that when we say "I'm busy," it's legitimate — we're not just home watching Netflix in our underwear (even if sometimes we are).

Celebrate all life milestones.

Singles get promotions, buy homes, and achieve amazing things that deserve celebration, too. Life isn't just a conveyor belt of celebrating engagements and baby showers. Us single gals are more than happy to show up to your big moments, but we want you there for ours, too. Let's celebrate it all.

At the end of the day, our friendship transcends relationship status. We're all just trying to figure life out — some with a partner-in-crime, some with the remote control, all to ourselves. Let's celebrate each other exactly as we are.

Are you a single friend in your friendship group? What are your unspoken rules? Tell us in the comments section below.

Feature image: Supplied.