What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of tomodachi (friend), ni (a particle indicating a change of state) and narou (the volitional form of "to become").
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 友だちになろう is casual and is best used with people of a similar age or in a relaxed social setting. For a polite approach, use 友達になりませんか, which is more appropriate when speaking to someone you do not know well or someone older than you. If you wish to be very polite, you can say お友達になっていただけませんか？, which means "Would you be so kind as to become friends?"
How does it change in a sentence?
While tomodachi ni narou is a suggestion meaning "let's," if you want to express your own personal desire to be friends, you can say 友だちになりたい ("I want to be friends").
How do you pronounce it?
tomodachi ni narou
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers might feel the need to add yo to the end of tomodachi ni narou to sound friendly, but the phrase is already a complete and natural invitation without it.
Did you know?
- In Japan, the concept of 'friendship' is often divided into uchi (inside) and soto (outside). Even after saying 友だちになろう, a person may remain in your soto circle for a long time before becoming a truly intimate friend.
- In adult social contexts, explicitly asking 友だちになろう can sometimes feel childish or overly direct. Adults often establish friendship through shared activities and mutual understanding without ever formally asking to be friends.
- In some contexts, 友だち can be used as a euphemism for a romantic partner or a 'date' when speaking to parents or superiors to hide the true nature of a relationship.
Examples in context
- これから友だちになろう！Kore kara tomodachi ni narou!Let's be friends from now on!
- ねえ、友だちになろうよ。Nee, tomodachi ni narou yo.Hey, let's be friends.
- 私たち、友だちになろう！Watashitachi, tomodachi ni narou!Let's be friends!
Example conversation
Two students are talking after school in the classroom.
- 蓮 Ren結衣さん、友だちになろう！Yui-san, tomodachi ni narou!Yui, let's be friends!
- 結衣 Yuiえっ、いいよ！E', ii yo!Eh, sure!
- 蓮 Renやった！嬉しいな。Yatta! Ureshii na.Yay! I'm so happy.
- 結衣 Yui私も。よろしくね、蓮くん。Watashi mo. Yoroshiku ne, Ren-kun.Me too. Nice to meet you, Ren.
