親友
shin'yū
The English phrase "best friends" is expressed in Japanese as 親友 (shin'yū).
親友 is used to describe a single person or a group of people who share a very deep, long-term bond.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 親 (close/intimate) and 友 (friend).
How do you pronounce it?
shin'yū
Did you know?
- The kanji character in 親友 for 'close' is the same one used in the word for 'parent', implying that a best friend is someone who feels like family.
- While 親友 denotes a deep bond, if you want to sound more casual or youthful, you might use the slang term マブダチ, which originated from old street dialects.
- In Japanese social dynamics, calling someone a 親友 can sometimes feel too heavy or intense for a casual friendship, so people may use the more general 友達 even for very close companions.
Examples in context
- ずっと親友でいようね。Let's be best friends forever.This sentence is useful for expressing a wish to remain best friends for a long time using 親友.Tatoeba #11303240 by small_snow, translation #1524714 by Spamster
- 私たち、ずっと親友だよ。We will be best friends forever.This sentence is useful for stating that a group of people will remain best friends forever using 親友.Tatoeba #11303241 by small_snow, translation #2571288 by Hybrid
- Watashi no shin'yū wa Hiroshi-san desu. (私の親友はひろしさんです。)Hiroshi is my best friend.
- 彼は私の親友です。Kare wa watashi no shinyū desu.He is my best friend.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their childhood connections.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲は私の親友だよ。Misaki wa watashi no shinyū da yo.Misaki is my best friend.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔、そんなこと言ってくれるなんて嬉しい！Hiroto, sonna koto itte kureru nante ureshii!Hiroto, I'm so happy you said that!
- 大翔 Hiroto本当のことを言っただけだよ。Hontō no koto o itta dake da yo.I was just telling the truth.
- 美咲 Misakiありがとう、大翔。Arigatō, Hiroto.Thank you, Hiroto.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
