How to Say "Making Friends" in Japanese

友達を作る

tomodachi o tsukuru

To say making friends in Japanese, use 友達を作る (tomodachi o tsukuru).

It is the usual way to talk about making new friends, literally to make friends.

What does it mean word for word?

友達 means friend or friends, を marks the object and 作る means to make.

友達を作る is a plain verb phrase. To use it as a noun, like making friends in English, add こと after it, as in 友達を作ること.

It is pronounced tomodachi o tsukuru. The particle を is said like o.

In Japanese, you can describe a 'best friend' as 親友 (shin'yū), where 親 means 'parent' or 'intimate'. This suggests a bond that is as deep and familial as the relationship between a parent and child.
There is a concept called 空気を読む ('reading the air') that is essential when making friends. It refers to the ability to sense the mood and unspoken social cues to avoid causing friction during a first meeting.
The word 友達 (tomodachi) is a combination of 友 ('friend') and 達 ('plural marker'). Interestingly, 達 was originally used to mean 'reaching a goal' or 'attaining' before it became a way to make nouns plural.

男にとって友達を作ることは簡単だ。
Making friends is simple for guys.
Here 友達を作ること is the subject, making friends and 簡単 means easy or simple.
Tatoeba #5070739 by 999yudai, translation #5272628 by kemushi69
友達を作ることや初対面の人と会うことを怖がることはない。
Making friends and meeting new people doesn't need to feel scary.
This sentence links 友達を作ること with meeting people for the first time.
Tatoeba #12698645 by small_snow, translation #7045707 by Hybrid
新しい環境で友達を作るのは大変です。
Atarashii kankyou de tomodachi o tsukuru no wa taihen desu.
Making friends in a new environment is difficult.

Yota and Himari are talking about starting university.

陽葵 Himari

大学に入ってから友達を作る予定ですか？
Daigaku ni haitte kara tomodachi o tsukuru yotei desu ka?
Do you plan on making friends after entering university?
陽太 Yota

はい、たくさん友達を作りたいです。
Hai, takusan tomodachi o tsukuritai desu.
Yes, I want to make many friends.
陽葵 Himari

陽太ならすぐにできそうですね。
Yota nara sugu ni dekisou desu ne.
It seems like you'll be able to do it quickly, Yota.
陽太 Yota

ありがとうございます。
Arigatou gozaimasu.
Thank you.

Sources

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