親友
shinyuu
The English phrase "bff" can be translated into Japanese as 親友 (shinyuu).
親友 is used to describe a person's closest and most trusted friend.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 親友 is composed of the characters 親 (close/intimate) and 友 (friend).
Which one should you use?
While 友達 is the general word for 'friend', 親友 specifically denotes a 'best friend' or a much deeper level of intimacy.
How do you pronounce it?
shinyuu
Did you know?
- There is a playful slang term ズッ友 (zutomo) used by teenagers, which is a contraction of 'forever' and 'friend'. It functions almost exactly like the English 'BFF'.
- The character 親 in 親友 also means 'parent' or 'biological'. This creates a linguistic nuance where a best friend is viewed as someone with the same level of intimacy as a family member.
- While 親友 means 'best friend', Japanese people often use the word 親友 sparingly because claiming someone is a 'best friend' can feel overly intense or dramatic in a culture that values social modesty.
Examples in context
- 彼は私の親友です。Kare wa watashi no shinyū desu.He is my best friend.
- 私たちは親友同士です。Watashitachi wa shinyū dōshi desu.We are best friends.
- 彼女は昔からの親友です。Kanojo wa mukashi kara no shinyū desu.She has been my best friend since a long time ago.
Example conversation
Youta and Misaki are talking about a childhood friend.
- 陽太 Yotaこの人は誰ですか？Kono hito wa dare desu ka?Who is this person?
- 美咲 Misaki私の親友のサキです。Watashi no shin-yuu no Saki desu.This is my best friend, Saki.
- 陽太 Yotaとても仲が良そうですね。Totemo naka ga yosou desu ne.You two seem to get along very well.
- 美咲 Misakiはい、最高の親友です。Hai, saikou no shin-yuu desu.Yes, she is the best friend ever.
