How to Say "Good Friend" in Japanese

親友

shin'yū

In Japanese, the phrase "good friend" is 親友 (shin'yū).

The term is used to describe a very close or best friend with whom one shares a deep bond.

What does it mean word for word?

The word 親友 is composed of 親 (shin), meaning intimacy or closeness and 友 (yū), meaning friend.

To make the word plural, you can add the suffix -たち to form 親友たち (shin'yū-tachi).

shin'yū

If you call someone a 親友 too early in a relationship, it can actually feel overwhelming or even suspicious to a Japanese person.
The character 親 also means 'parent' or 'immediate family', suggesting that a 親友 is someone viewed with the same level of intimacy as a blood relative.
Japanese has a distinct word 幼馴染 ('osananajimi') for a 'childhood friend' which is often considered a special category of 親友.

彼女は私の親友です。
She is a good friend of mine.
This sentence is useful for identifying a person as a good friend.
Tatoeba #89350 by bunbuku, translation #314361 by CK
親友から手紙をもらった。
I got a letter from a very good friend.
This sentence shows receiving something from a very good friend.
Tatoeba #12143004 by small_snow, translation #10139686 by ddnktr
バスを運転してる男性は私の親友です。
The man driving the bus is a good friend of mine.
This sentence identifies a person in a specific setting as a good friend.
Tatoeba #1047547 by bunbuku, translation #1048264 by CK
彼は私の良き友です。
He is my good friend.
私の親友はいつも私を励ましてくれます。
My good friend always encourages me.
彼は私の親しい友達で、いつも私を笑わせてくれる。
He is my good friend and always makes me laugh.
私たちは幼稚園から仲良しだった。
We have been good friends since kindergarten.
2 more sentences on Tatoeba

Yui and Daito are looking at a photo of Yui and another girl.

結衣 Yui

この子は私の親友です。
Kono ko wa watashi no shin'yū desu.
This girl is my best friend.
大翔 Hiroto

どこで知り合ったの？
Doko de shiriatta no?
Where did you meet?
結衣 Yui

小学校からの親友なんです。
Shōgakkō kara no shin'yū nan desu.
We've been best friends since elementary school.
大翔 Hiroto

それはすごいね。
Sore wa sugoi ne.
That's amazing.

Sources

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