Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 友達になる | tomodachi ni naru |
| 味方になる | mikata ni naru |
友達になる is used to describe the process of creating friendships. In informal settings, you might use 友達になりたい to say 'I want to become friends' or 仲良くなりたい to express the desire to become close or friendly with someone. If you want to express the idea of making friends in a more volitional, informal tone, you can use 友達を作ろう.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 友達になる literally means 'to become a friend'.
Which one should you use?
While 友達になる refers to social friendship, 味方になる means to become an ally or to take someone's side, typically in the context of a conflict or competition.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the ability to make friends, such as saying 'I was able to make friends,' you should use the potential form 友達になれる or the past potential form 友達になれた.
How do you pronounce it?
tomodachi ni naru
Did you know?
- The word 友達 is a compound of 友 meaning 'friend' and 達 which indicates a plural group, meaning the word itself inherently suggests a group of friends.
- Japanese has a concept called 人付き合い, which refers to the social obligation of maintaining friendships and networking, rather than just the pleasure of making friends.
- The word 味方 in 味方になる originally referred to a 'side' or 'party' in a military conflict, which is why it carries a stronger connotation of loyalty than simple friendship.
Example sentences for Japanese are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Two students are talking about a new class.
- 大翔 Hiroto新しいクラスで友達になる人はいた？Atarashii kurasu de tomodachi ni naru hito wa ita?Did you make any friends in the new class?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、一人いい人がいたよ。Un, hitori ii hito ga ita yo.Yeah, there was one nice person.
- 大翔 Hirotoそれはよかったね。Sore wa yokatta ne.That's great.
- 結衣 Yui大翔くんも友達になってね。Hiroto-kun mo tomodachi ni natte ne.I hope you make some friends too, Hiroto.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “make friends” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
