Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 朋友 | péngyǒu | /pʰɤŋ³⁵ joʊ̯³/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Mainland China, standard, Sinological IPA) /pʰɤŋ³⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Taiwan, standard, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 朋友 | pêng-iú | /peŋ²⁴⁻²¹ iu⁴²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Philippines, Penang, Singapore, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /piɪŋ¹³⁻²² iu⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Philippines, Penang, Singapore, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
| 友人 | iú-lîn | /iu⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ lin²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Xiamen, Sinological IPA) /iu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lin²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Xiamen, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
| 友 | yǒu | /joʊ̯²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /iəu⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
Classical Chinese |
The term 朋友 is the most common and neutral way to say 'friend' in Chinese, suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Other specific terms exist depending on the level of closeness and gender: 哥们 acts as 'buddy' or 'pal' among male friends, while 姐们 is used among female friends. For very deep connections, 至交 refers to an extremely close friend who can be trusted unconditionally and 知己 denotes a close friend with whom one shares mutual understanding and empathy. Additionally, the verb 加 can be used to mean 'to add as a friend'.
What does it mean word for word?
The character 朋 (pêng) originally referred to a pair of hanging jade ornaments, which served as a symbol of companionship.
Which one should you use?
While 朋友 is the standard and most common term, 友人 is a more formal and literary way to refer to a friend or an acquaintance. In highly formal, classical or poetic contexts, the single character 友 may be used instead.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
朋友 is neutral and works in almost any situation. For more formal speeches or written communication, 友人 is often used to suggest a sense of more distant relationships. Conversely, 哥们 and 姐们 are informal terms used in casual settings between friends of the same gender. The single character 友 is reserved for highly formal or poetic registers.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Dungan language, which is a variety of Chinese influenced by Central Asian contexts, three variants are used: пын-ю, ляншу and дос.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is pêng-iú (/pʰɤŋ³⁵ joʊ̯³/).
Did you know?
- The Dungan variety of Chinese includes the word дос, which is not Chinese in origin but is borrowed from Turkic languages like Kazakh or Kyrgyz.
- In traditional Chinese culture, a 知己 is often compared to a 'soulmate', but the term is used for platonic friends regardless of romantic interest.
- While 朋友 is neutral, using the term 哥们 (buddy) to a man you are not actually close with can sometimes be perceived as overly aggressive or an attempt to force intimacy.
Examples in context
- 誰是他朋友？Who is his friend?This sentence is useful for identifying a specific person's friend using 朋友.Tatoeba #6147822 by xjjAstrus, translation #6276594 by Kiwi
- 你有朋友嗎？Do you have a friend?This sentence is useful for asking if someone possesses a 朋友.Tatoeba #13519113 by LeviHighway, translation #13224656 by atitarev
- 他是我的朋友。He is my friend.This sentence is useful for stating a personal relationship using 朋友.Tatoeba #490784 by GlossaMatik, translation #298009 by CH
- 我们是哥们。We are buddies.
- 小明的朋友Xiaoming's friend
- 304 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Haoran introduces his companion to Jiayi.
- 浩然 Haoran佳怡，這位是我的朋友。Jiāyí, zhè wèi shì wǒ de péngyǒu.Jiayi, this is my friend.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你好！很高興認識你。Nǐ hǎo! Hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ.Hello! Nice to meet you.
- 浩然 Haoran我們是大學時期的朋友。Wǒmen shì dàxué shíqī de péngyǒu.We were friends during college.
- 佳怡 Jiayi太好了，歡迎你。Tài hǎole, huānyíng nǐ.That's great, welcome.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “friend” translations and entries 朋友, 朋友, 友人, 友, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
