ねえ親友
nee shin'yuu
The English phrase "hey bestie" is translated into Japanese as ねえ親友 (nee shin'yuu).
ねえ親友 is an informal greeting used to address a very close friend.
How do you pronounce it?
nee shin'yuu
Did you know?
- In many Japanese social circles, calling someone a 'best friend' directly to their face is actually considered quite rare and can even cause social awkwardness.
- The character 親 in 親友 means 'parent' or 'intimate'. It suggests that a best friend is someone who has reached a level of closeness similar to a family member.
- In Japanese pop culture, specifically among teenage girls, the concept of a 'bestie' is often expressed through the term マブ (mabu), which originated from street slang.
Example conversation
Yota and Himari meet up at a cafe.
- 陽太 Yotaねえ親友、こっちだよ！Nee shin-yuu, kocchi da yo!Hey bestie, over here!
- 陽葵 Himari陽太、やっと来たね！Youta, yatto kita ne!Yota, you finally made it!
- 陽太 Yotaごめん、道が混んでたんだ。Gomen, michi ga kondetan da.Sorry, the roads were crowded.
- 陽葵 Himariいいよ。何飲む？Ii yo. Nani nomu?It's okay. What are you drinking?
