Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 친구 | chin'gu | [t͡ɕʰinɡu] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | South Korea |
| 동무 | dongmu | [to̞ŋmu] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 벗 | beot | [pɘ(ː)t̚] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | literary |
The most common way to refer to a person whose company one enjoys is 친구. If you are referring to someone you know in a slightly more formal capacity, such as an acquaintance or an associate, you might use 지인. In a professional environment, when referring to a colleague or coworker, the term 동료 is preferred.
Which one should you use?
While 동무 can mean friend in a general sense, it is primarily used as "comrade" in North Korean political contexts and sounds unnatural in South Korean daily speech. 벗 is a poetic or literary way to say friend, typically found in song lyrics or poetry.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
벗 is a literary form used to express closeness. 지인 is a more formal way to describe an acquaintance.
Is it said differently in some regions?
동무 is primarily associated with North Korean-related political contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
chin'gu
When do people say it?
The term 벗 is an old-fashioned word often used between males to express closeness. In professional settings, it is better to use 동료 to refer to coworkers.
Did you know?
- Korean has separate words for friends based on how you met them, such as 불알친구 for a childhood friend. This literal term translates to 'testicle friend', referring to boys who grew up together from infancy.
- In South Korea, calling someone a 친구 often implies they are the exact same age as you. If there is even a one year age difference, Koreans typically use different terms to denote seniority.
- The word 동무 may have originated from a term meaning 'plotting together' or 'collusion'. This suggests the word once described people conspiring or planning in secret.
Examples in context
- 톰은 내 좋은 친구야.Tom is my good friend.This sentence is useful for identifying a person as a good friend using 친구.Tatoeba #8395792 by Eunhee, translation #5466962 by CK
- 나의 오랜 친구가 아프다.My old friend is sick.This sentence uses 친구 to describe an old friend who is unwell.Tatoeba #9803450 by ST_Young, translation #8870937 by carlosalberto
- 우연히 옛날 친구를 만났어.I met an old friend by chance.This sentence shows how to use 친구 when meeting someone from the past by chance.Tatoeba #4748076 by kimhkng, translation #252236 by CK
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dohyun introduces his friend to Seoyeon.
- 도현 Do-hyeon서연아, 내 친구를 소개해 줄게.Seoyeon-a, nae chin-gu-reul so-gae-hae jul-ge.Seoyeon, let me introduce my friend.
- 서연 Seo-yeon반가워요. 도현 씨 친구분 맞으시죠?Ban-ga-wo-yo. Dohyun ssi chin-gu-bun ma-jeu-si-jyo?Nice to meet you. You are Dohyun's friend, right?
- 도현 Do-hyeon응, 정말 친한 친구야.Eung, jeong-mal chin-han chin-gu-ya.Yes, he is a very close friend.
- 서연 Seo-yeon좋은 분인 것 같아요.Jo-eun bun-in geot gat-a-yo.He seems like a nice person.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “friend” translations and entries 친구, 동무, 벗, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 동무, 벗, 친구, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
