私の親友
watashi no shin'yuu
In Japanese, "my best friend" is expressed as 私の親友 (watashi no shin'yuu).
The phrase is used to describe a person with whom you share a very close and special bond of friendship. The core term 親友 implies a deep, significant level of friendship rather than just a casual acquaintance.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 私の親友 is composed of the pronoun 私 (I/me), the possessive particle の (my) and 親友 (close friend).
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun 親友 does not change its form based on whether you are referring to one best friend or multiple best friends.
How do you pronounce it?
watashi no shin'yuu
Did you know?
- Calling someone 私の親友 to their face can actually feel awkward or overly formal in Japan, as the bond is usually understood without being explicitly labeled.
- The word 親 in 親友 literally means 'parent' or 'intimacy', suggesting a bond as close as that between a child and a parent.
- While English speakers often use 'best friend' for any close peer, Japanese speakers use 親友 with much more weight, often reserving it for a single, life-long soulmate.
Examples in context
- ジョンは私の親友です。John is my best friend.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as your best friend using 私の親友.Tatoeba #215286 by bunbuku, translation #52585 by CN
- 私の親友は中国人です。My best friend is Chinese.This sentence is useful for describing the nationality of your best friend using 私の親友.Tatoeba #8545870 by small_snow, translation #8366590 by dasbeispielholz
- バスを運転してる男性は私の親友です。The man who is driving the bus is my best friend.This sentence is useful for identifying a specific person as your best friend using 私の親友.Tatoeba #1047547 by bunbuku, translation #1047538 by Parmeet
- 私の一番の友達は、大学で知り合った亮太さんです。My best friend is Ryota, whom I met in college.
- 昔からの私の最高の友人と一緒に旅行するのは楽しい。Traveling with my lifelong best friend is fun.
- 私の親友とは、中学校の時からの付き合いです。My best friend is someone I've been friends with since middle school.
- 僕の最高の友達は、小学校からの友達の太郎くんだ。My best friend is Tarō-kun, a friend since elementary school.
- うちの親友とは、隣に住んでいる友だちのことさ。My best friend is the friend who lives next door.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are talking about their childhood memories at a cafe.
- 美咲 Misaki彼女は私の親友です。Kanojo wa watashi no shin'yuu desu.She is my best friend.
- 陽太 Yotaずっと仲が良いんですね。Zutto naka ga ii n desu ne.You two have always been close, haven't you?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、幼馴染なんです。Hai, osananajimi nan desu.Yes, we are childhood friends.
- 陽太 Yotaそれは素敵な関係ですね。Sore wa suteki na kankei desu ne.That is a wonderful relationship.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
