親友
shin'yū
The Japanese phrase for "close friend" is 親友 (shin'yū).
親友 refers to a person with whom one shares a very strong and deep bond of friendship. Because it implies such a high level of intimacy, it is used sparingly for one's most trusted and long-standing companions. In informal settings, you might also hear Ichiban (イチバン) Tomodachi (友達), which literally translates to "number one friend" and is used to refer to your closest friend. Another term, Nakama (仲間), is used informally to refer to a friend who shares a common goal or belongs to the same group or community.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 親友 is composed of 親 (shin), meaning "intimate" or "parent/relative" and 友 (yū), meaning "friend".
Which one should you use?
While 友達 (tomodachi) is the general term for a "friend", 親友 specifically denotes a much deeper and more significant bond.
How do you pronounce it?
shin'yū
Did you know?
- While 親友 describes a deep bond, Japanese speakers often avoid using it to someone's face. It is more common to use the term when describing the relationship to a third party.
- In Japan, the concept of 'friend' is often split between 内 (uchi), the inner circle, and 外 (soto), the outer circle. A 親友 is the ultimate inhabitant of the 'inner circle'.
- If you want to refer to your 'best friend' in a very modern, slangy way, you might use the loanword ベストフレンド (besuto furendo). This sounds much more casual and less heavy than the traditional 親友.
Examples in context
- 彼は僕の親友だ。He is my close friend.This sentence is useful for identifying a male close friend using 親友.Tatoeba #99939 by bunbuku, translation #300008 by CK
- トムは親友だけど、彼氏じゃないよ。Tom is a very close friend, but he's not my boyfriend.This sentence is useful for clarifying that someone is a close friend but not a boyfriend using 親友.Tatoeba #10117496 by bunbuku, translation #2624201 by CK
- 親友の結婚式だから、出席しなくてはならない。Since it is the wedding of my close friend I have to attend it.This sentence is useful for discussing the necessity of attending a close friend's wedding using 親友.Tatoeba #1629894 by Christophe, translation #1629900 by Christophe
- これは私の親友、佐藤さんです。This is my close friend, Sato-san.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their social circles at a cafe.
- 陽葵 Himari健太君には親友がいるの？Kenta-kun ni wa shin'yu ga iru no?Kenta, do you have a close friend?
- 健太 Kentaうん、高校時代からの親友がいるよ。Un, koukou jidai kara no shin'yu ga iru yo.Yeah, I have a close friend from high school.
- 陽葵 Himariそれは素敵なことだね。Sore wa suteki na koto da ne.That is a wonderful thing.
- 健太 Kenta陽葵さんも、親友はいる？Himari-san mo, shin'yu wa iru?Do you have a close friend too, Himari?
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
