How To Say Friend In Japanese

By Final updated: February 3, 2022

How to Say Friend in Japanese: From BFFs to Business concern Associates

With 130 meg Japanese speakers on the planet, it would exist surprising if you didn't know one or 2 of them.

If yous've been studying Japanese for any length of time, you've likely gotten to know at least one native Japanese speaker to some extent.

They might be a instructor at your school, a classmate, the new guy in the aircraft logistics function at your job or possibly someone you met on Twitch or another video chat service.

Inevitably, you're going to need to depict your relationships with these friends and acquaintances.

Below, I'll teach y'all 11 dissimilar ways to say "friend" in Japanese and show you exactly when to employ each ane!

Download: This blog post is available as a user-friendly and portable PDF that y'all tin can have anywhere. Click here to get a re-create. (Download)

How to Say Friend in Japanese: From BFFs to Concern Associates

"Friend" is an important discussion, and it'due south every bit important to know how to use it correctly.

Information technology's as well important to sympathize that using the word "friend" in spoken Japanese is non quite equally unproblematic as it is in English.

My friend Yoshiko explained it to me like this:

We do not use the discussion friend like y'all do in English language. It would non be unusual for you to say to me something like, "Yoshiko, would you be my friend?" in English, but it would exist a little strange if I were to say that to y'all in Japanese. We don't actually talk about existence friends with the person nosotros are friends with. Nosotros would find that uncomfortable. If you want to know if we are friends, [run across if] I am speaking with you in a friendly way.

So, why have the word "friend" at all?

Yoshiko continued:

We talk about our friends, colleagues, co-workers and other people we know or are shut to in more of a tertiary person mode. I would say to my brother, "My friend John bought a idiot box" or, "My co-workers went to eat sushi."

Yoshiko also pointed out that there are, in fact, many words in Japanese that express friendship, but that most should exist used with great care because they might only be spoken by sure types of people or in very specific situations.

Bones Means to Say Friend in Japanese

友達 (ともだち) — Friend

This is the most recognizable word for "friend" that students of Japanese come across, and with proficient reason. It'south the most analogous in usage to the English word and has the broadest use.

You'll see the word in movie titles (きみの友だち (きみのともだち) — "Your Friend"), book titles (彼はトモダチ (かれはともだち)— "He Is a Friend") and popular songs (ともだち — "Friend") likewise.

アキラは私の友達です。 (あきらはわたしのともだちです。) — Akira is my friend.

私の友達は赤いジャケットを着ています。 (わたしのともだちはあかいじゃけっとをきています。) — My friend wears a ruby-red jacket.

私の友達は政府機関に逮捕されました。 (わたしのともだちはせいふきかんにたいほされました。) — My friend has been arrested by agents of the regime.

友達 (ともだち) should also exist considered a casual give-and-take—polite, but not appropriate for very formal conversation.

友人 (ゆうじん) — Friend (formal)

Y'all might meet 友人 (ゆうじん) used in older Japanese language textbooks that rely on a more than formal version of spoken Japanese. If a lot of your Japanese exercise comes from manga or anime, you're a trivial less likely to see this usage outside of very specific scenes.

私の友人は向こうにいます。 (わたしのゆうじんはむこうにいます。) — My friend is way over in that location.

月に住んでいる友人がいます。 (つきにすんでいるゆうじんがいます。) — I have a friend who lives on the moon.

私の友人は月の皇帝です。 (わたしのゆうじんはつきのこうていです。) — My friend is the Emperor of the Moon.

親しい (したしい) — Close friend

When yous're talking most close friends or even all-time friends, you can utilize 親しい (したしい). Just remember that it works best when talking about someone in the third person—not with the person you lot're describing as a close friend.

彼らは親しい友人です。 (かれらはしたしいゆうじんです。) — They are all-time friends.

彼は彼女と親しいですか？ (かれはかのじょとしたしいですか？) — Is he shut to her?

私は犬を訓練する人と非常に親しいです。(わたしはいぬをくんれんするひととひじょうにしたしいです。) — I am very shut to people who train dogs.

親友 (しんゆう) — Close friend

This too refers to someone who's a close friend. As with 親しい (したしい), 親友 (しんゆう) is reserved for very close friends, and the same rules apply when using it.

彼女の親友は猫です。 (かのじょのしんゆうはねこです。) — Her best friend is a cat.

私の親友の猫は私を好きではありません。 (わたしのしんゆうのねこはわたしをすきではありません。) — My close friend's cat doesn't similar me.

私の親友は誰も猫を飼っていません。 (わたしのしんゆうはだれもねこをかっていません。) — None of my close friends have cats.

大親友 (だいしんゆう) — Very best friend

Many students volition recognize that the addition of 大 (だい) to the beginning of 親友 (しんゆう) indicates that 大親友 (だいしんゆう) refers to a very best friend.

私の大親友は魔法の豆を買った。 (わたしのだいしんゆうはまほうのまめをかった。) — My best friend bought some magic beans.

私の大親友は魔法の豆を植えた。 (わたしのだいしんゆうはまほうのまめをうえた。) — My best friend planted some magic beans.

巨大な植物が私の大親友を雲に連れて行ってくれた。 (きょだいなしょくぶつがわたしのだいしんゆうをくもにつれていってくれた。) — A giant plant carried my very best friend up to the clouds.

ダチ (だち) — Buddy, bro (very informal slang, outdated)

While a dated phrase, you may meet ダチ (だち) in an older manga or anime series. Information technology's slang that'southward used mostly past young people and is considered very breezy spoken communication. As such, it should be used with care. These days, it probably shouldn't be used at all unless you lot're admittedly confident that you're using it in the right context.

Its inclusion in this postal service is more for yous to be able to recognize it when it appears in reading or viewing cloth.

俺のダチはレースカーが好きだ。 (おれのだちはれーすかーがすきだ。 ) — My friends like race cars.

ダチの車が衝突した！ (だちのくるまがしょうとつした！) — My friend's car has crashed!

ダチが燃えてる！助けてくれ！ (だちがもえてる！たすけてくれ！) — My friends are on fire! Help!

Note that when referring to a close friend, yous'd say マブダチ (まぶだち) — best buddy/bro (very informal). Again, care should exist used, as information technology's an outdated phrase and highly informal.

I'd even go so far as to say that yous should never use ダチ (だち) or マブダチ (まぶだち) in a conversation, but at least now yous tin recognize them when yous come up across them.

連れ (つれ) or ツレ — Friend (informal, slang)

連れ (つれ), sometimes written as ツレ, is another breezy/slang term for a friend or companion and is nearly often used by young men. Equally with most slang words, yous're going to want to be careful how you lot use it and probably avert information technology unless y'all're certain you're using it in the correct context.

ツレは全員東京に行ってしまった。(つれはぜんいんとうきょうにいってしまった。) — All of my friends have gone to Tokyo.

東京が消えて以来、俺は連れに会っていない。 (とうきょうがきえていらい、おれはつれにあっていない。) — I have not seen friends since Tokyo disappeared.

連れの消息を聞いたことがあるかい？ (つれのしょうそくをきいたことがあるかい？) — Have you heard the news of my friends?

Ways to Talk Nigh Specific Kinds of Friends in Japanese

相棒 (あいぼう) — Partner, friend, associate

When referring to a partner in a common activity, you might choose to use 相棒 (あいぼう) when describing the relationship. The friendship is unremarkably linked to a like involvement in something. 相棒 (あいぼう) can describe this relationship in a very friendly way and is similar to the English word "buddy."

僕の相棒は二人共、切手収集家だ。 (ぼくのあいぼうはふたりともきってしゅうしゅうかだ。) — Both [partners] of them are postage stamp collectors.

俺の相棒はとってもテニスがうまい。(おれのあいぼうはとってもてにすがうまい。) — My buddy is a very skilled tennis actor.

相棒もチェスクラブにいる。 (あいぼうもちぇすくらぶにいる。) — My friend is also in the chess club.

仲間 (なかま) — Colleague, fellow, comrade

You often hear this word used in anime or run into it in manga. Information technology's a little rarer in full general conversation, merely it tin be used in a few specific contexts. Its meaning stresses the collegial nature of a friendship, either professionally or within a social group. In English, you might acquaintance it with the words "fellow" or "comrade."

仲間が富士山に登ります。 (なかまがふじさんにのぼります。) — My friends climb Mount Fuji.

その人は私の仲間です。 (そのひとはわたしのなかまです。) — That man is my comrade.

私達は皆、チェスクラブの仲間です。 (わたしたちはみな、ちぇすくらぶのなかまです。) — We are all friends of the chess club.

Ways to Refer to Friends Around the Function in Japanese

We all have friends who are more "work friends" than friends we'd normally socialize with exterior of the workplace. The Japanese are no different. When expressing this type of friendship, you can use the following words.

同僚 (どうりょう) — Co-worker, colleague

This discussion refers to a co-worker or colleague.

同僚は今夜、バーで会っている。 (どうりょうはこんや、ばーであっている。) — My co-workers are meeting at the bar tonight.

同僚は昨夜、非常に酔っていた。 (どうりょうはさくや、ひじょうによっていた。) — My colleagues got very drunk terminal dark.

同僚は全員、刑務所にいる。 (どうりょうはぜんいん、けいむしょにいる。) — All of my co-workers are in jail.

盟友 (めいゆう) — Business colleague or co-worker, political marry

When referring to a business organisation colleague or when indicating an ally in a political context, you tin can use 盟友.

私の盟友は政治職に立候補しています。(わたしのめいゆうはせいじしょくにりっこうほしています。) — My colleague is running for political office.

私は緑の党に盟友がいません。 (わたしはみどりのとうにめいゆうがいません。) — I have no allies in the Green Party.

盟友と私は固い握手を交わした。(めいゆうとわたしはかたいあくしゅをかわした。) — My colleague and I clasped easily.

While Japanese speakers may non explicitly discuss friendship among each other, in that location'southward no shortage of Japanese words or phrases to indicate a diversity of friendship types. The range of words referencing friendship outnumber those in English, but, as with whatever language, it's important to understand the context behind a word before using it.

In most cases, 友達 (ともだち) and 友人 (ゆうじん) are the safest choices.

But, go alee and explore the wide spectrum of ways to express friendship in Japanese. Talking about friendship is ever a good thing!

Download: This weblog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can accept anywhere. Click here to go a copy. (Download)

Source: https://www.fluentu.com/blog/japanese/friend-in-japanese/