Curious

Hi there! Hallo! I was recently talking about a friend using the words "Freundin/Freund" when the person I was talking to (who spoke beginner-intermediate level German) thought I was talking about a significant other. I was able to explain what I really meant but I also realized that I did not know the words or expressions to tell the difference between a friend and a lover. In English we usually specify the gender only when we are talking about a significant other. As in : girlfriend/boyfriend But in German the gender is already specified when talking about a casual friend. (Freundin, Freund) That is why I got confused. I appreciate all the help. Thanks for taking the time to read this!