{"id":107355,"date":"2023-08-11T03:24:58","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T07:24:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/friend-in-japanese\/"},"modified":"2025-02-25T03:31:26","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T08:31:26","slug":"friend-in-japanese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/friend-in-japanese\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Ways to Say Friend in Japanese: From BFFs to Business Associates"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With more than 120 million Japanese speakers on the planet, it would be surprising if you <em>didn\u2019t<\/em> know one or two of them. Inevitably, you\u2019re going to need to describe your relationships with these friends and acquaintances.<\/p>\n<p>There are actually several words in Japanese that express friendship, but most should be used with great care because they&#8217;re only used in very specific situations. Let&#8217;s go over <strong>14 ways to say friend in Japanese <\/strong>and find out exactly how to use them.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n<h2>1. \u53cb\u9054 (\u3068\u3082\u3060\u3061) \u2014 Friend<\/h2>\n<p>This is the most recognizable word for &#8220;friend&#8221; that students of Japanese come across, and with good reason. It\u2019s the most analogous in usage to the English word and has the broadest use.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll see the word in movie titles (<a href=\"https:\/\/eiga.com\/movie\/53490\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>\u304d\u307f\u306e\u53cb\u3060\u3061<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u2014 &#8220;Your Friend&#8221;), book titles (<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.jp\/%E5%BD%BC%E3%81%AF%E3%83%88%E3%83%A2%E3%83%80%E3%83%81-%E3%82%B3%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF-%E5%85%A87%E5%B7%BB%E5%AE%8C%E7%B5%90%E3%82%BB%E3%83%83%E3%83%88-%E5%88%A5%E5%86%8A%E3%83%95%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3%E3%83%89KC-%E6%9D%8E%E3%80%85%E5%AD%90\/dp\/B00BXWAACW?tag=fluentu-20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u5f7c\u306f\u30c8\u30e2\u30c0\u30c1<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 &#8220;He Is a Friend&#8221;) and popular songs (<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/219456442\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u3068\u3082\u3060\u3061<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 &#8220;Friend&#8221;) as well.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u30a2\u30ad\u30e9\u306f\u79c1\u306e\u53cb\u9054\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u3042\u304d\u3089\u306f \u308f\u305f\u3057\u306e \u3068\u3082\u3060\u3061 \u3067\u3059\u3002) \u2014 Akira is my friend.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u79c1\u306e\u53cb\u9054\u306f\u8d64\u3044\u30b8\u30e3\u30b1\u30c3\u30c8\u3092\u7740\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306e \u3068\u3082\u3060\u3061\u306f \u3042\u304b\u3044 \u3058\u3083\u3051\u3063\u3068\u3092 \u304d\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002) \u2014 My friend wears a red jacket.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u79c1\u306e\u53cb\u9054\u306f\u653f\u5e9c\u6a5f\u95a2\u306b\u902e\u6355\u3055\u308c\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/strong> (\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306e \u3068\u3082\u3060\u3061\u306f \u305b\u3044\u3075\u304d\u304b\u3093\u306b \u305f\u3044\u307b\u3055\u308c\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002) \u2014 My friend has been arrested by agents of the government.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u53cb\u9054<\/strong> should also be considered a casual word\u2014polite, but not appropriate for very formal conversation.<\/p>\n<p>You can get even more specific with <strong>\u53cb\u9054:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u98f2\u307f\u53cb\u9054 (\u306e\u307f\u3068\u3082\u3060\u3061) \u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0drinking buddy\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u5b66\u6821\u306e\u53cb\u9054 (\u304c\u3063\u3053\u3046\u306e\u3068\u3082\u3060\u3061) \u2014 school friend<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u5916\u56fd\u4eba\u306e\u53cb\u9054 (\u304c\u3044\u3053\u304f\u3058\u3093\u306e\u3068\u3082\u3060\u3061) \u2014 foreign friend<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u4ed5\u4e8b\u306e\u53cb\u9054 (\u3057\u3054\u3068\u306e\u3068\u3082\u3060\u3061) \u2014 work friend<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u65c5\u884c\u306e\u53cb\u9054 (\u308a\u3087\u3053\u3046\u306e\u3068\u3082\u3060\u3061) \u2014 travel friend<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u30aa\u30f3\u30e9\u30a4\u30f3\u306e<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u53cb\u9054 (\u304a\u3093\u3089\u3044\u3093\u306e\u3068\u3082\u3060\u3061) \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/make-japanese-friends-online\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">online friend<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SNS\u306e\u53cb\u9054 (SNS\u306e\u3068\u3082\u3060\u3061) \u2014 social media friend<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>2. \u53cb\u4eba (\u3086\u3046\u3058\u3093) \u2014 Friend (formal)<\/h2>\n<p>You might see <strong>\u53cb\u4eba<\/strong> (\u3086\u3046\u3058\u3093) used in older <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/best-japanese-textbooks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Japanese language textbooks<\/a> that rely on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/japanese-formality\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more formal version<\/a> of spoken Japanese. If a lot of your Japanese practice comes from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/japanese-comic-books\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">manga<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/learn-japanese-with-anime-series\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">anime<\/a>, you\u2019re a little less likely to see this usage outside of very specific scenes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u79c1\u306e\u53cb\u4eba\u306f\u5411\u3053\u3046\u306b\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306e \u3086\u3046\u3058\u3093\u306f \u3080\u3053\u3046\u306b \u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002) \u2014 My friend is over there.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u6708\u306b\u4f4f\u3093\u3067\u3044\u308b\u53cb\u4eba\u304c\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u3064\u304d\u306b \u3059\u3093\u3067\u3044\u308b \u3086\u3046\u3058\u3093\u304c \u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002) \u2014 I have a friend who lives on the moon.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u79c1\u306e\u53cb\u4eba\u306f\u6708\u306e\u7687\u5e1d\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306e \u3086\u3046\u3058\u3093\u306f \u3064\u304d\u306e \u3053\u3046\u3066\u3044 \u3067\u3059\u3002) \u2014 My friend is the Emperor of the Moon.<\/p>\n<h2>3. \u89aa\u53cb (\u3057\u3093\u3086\u3046) \u2014 Close friend<\/h2>\n<p>This also refers to someone who&#8217;s a close friend. As with <strong>\u89aa\u3057\u3044<\/strong> (\u3057\u305f\u3057\u3044), <strong>\u89aa\u53cb<\/strong> (\u3057\u3093\u3086\u3046) is reserved for very close friends, and the same rules apply when using it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u5f7c\u5973\u306e\u89aa\u53cb\u306f\u732b\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u304b\u306e\u3058\u3087\u306e \u3057\u3093\u3086\u3046\u306f \u306d\u3053 \u3067\u3059\u3002) \u2014 Her best friend is a cat.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u79c1\u306e\u89aa\u53cb\u306e\u732b\u306f\u79c1\u3092\u597d\u304d\u3067\u306f\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002<\/strong> (\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306e \u3057\u3093\u3086\u3046\u306e \u306d\u3053\u306f \u308f\u305f\u3057\u3092 \u3059\u304d\u3067\u306f \u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002) \u2014 My close friend\u2019s cat doesn&#8217;t like me.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u79c1\u306e\u89aa\u53cb\u306f\u8ab0\u3082\u732b\u3092\u98fc\u3063\u3066\u3044\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002<\/strong> (\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306e \u3057\u3093\u3086\u3046\u306f \u3060\u308c\u3082 \u306d\u3053\u3092 \u304b\u3063\u3066\u3044\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002) \u2014 None of my close friends have cats.<\/p>\n<h2>4. \u4ef2\u826f\u3057 (\u306a\u304b\u3088\u3057) \u2014 Close friend\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>Similar to the two previous words, <strong>\u4ef2\u826f\u3057<\/strong> also means close friend or &#8220;chum,&#8221; but has a lighter meaning and is used less formally.<\/p>\n<p>If someone is your \u4ef2\u826f\u3057, it means you&#8217;re very comfortable with them. You like hanging out together, have common interests and share a strong connection. You click\u2014and you can even use it to describe a group of friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"group w-full text-gray-800 dark:text-gray-100 border-b border-black\/10 dark:border-gray-900\/50 bg-gray-50 dark:bg-[#444654]\">\n<div class=\"flex p-4 gap-4 text-base md:gap-6 md:max-w-2xl lg:max-w-[38rem] xl:max-w-3xl md:py-6 lg:px-0 m-auto\">\n<div class=\"relative flex w-[calc(100%-50px)] flex-col gap-1 md:gap-3 lg:w-[calc(100%-115px)]\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-grow flex-col gap-3\">\n<div class=\"min-h-[20px] flex items-start overflow-x-auto whitespace-pre-wrap break-words flex-col gap-4\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert light\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u79c1\u305f\u3061\u306f\u4e00\u7dd2\u306b\u65c5\u884c\u3092\u697d\u3057\u3080\u4ef2\u826f\u3057\u306e\u30b0\u30eb\u30fc\u30d7\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u308f\u305f\u3057\u305f\u3061\u306f \u3044\u3063\u3057\u3087\u306b \u308a\u3087\u3053\u3046\u3092 \u305f\u306e\u3057\u3080 \u306a\u304b\u3088\u3057\u306e \u30b0\u30eb\u30fc\u30d7\u3067\u3059\u3002) \u2014 We are a close-knit group of friends who enjoy traveling together.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u5f7c\u3089\u306f\u5e7c\u3044\u9803\u304b\u3089\u4ef2\u826f\u3057\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u304b\u308c\u3089\u306f \u304a\u3055\u306a\u3044\u3053\u308d\u304b\u3089 \u306a\u304b\u3088\u3057\u3067\u3059\u3002)\u00a0 \u2014\u00a0He and I have been close friends since childhood.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u5f7c\u3089\u306f\u4ef2\u826f\u3057\u306e\u53cb\u9054\u3067\u3001\u3044\u3064\u3082\u4e00\u7dd2\u306b\u904e\u3054\u3057\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002  <\/strong>(\u304b\u308c\u3089\u306f\u306a\u304b\u3088\u3057\u306e\u3068\u3082\u3060\u3061\u3067\u3001\u3044\u3064\u3082\u3044\u3063\u3057\u3087\u306b\u3059\u3054\u3057\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002) \u2014 They are good friends and always spend time together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>5. \u5927\u89aa\u53cb (\u3060\u3044\u3057\u3093\u3086\u3046) \u2014 Very best friend<\/h2>\n<p>Many students will recognize that the addition of <strong>\u5927<\/strong> (\u3060\u3044)\u00a0to the beginning of <strong>\u89aa\u53cb<\/strong> (\u3057\u3093\u3086\u3046) indicates that <strong>\u5927\u89aa\u53cb<\/strong> (\u3060\u3044\u3057\u3093\u3086\u3046) refers to a very best friend.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u79c1\u306e\u5927\u89aa\u53cb\u306f\u9b54\u6cd5\u306e\u8c46\u3092\u8cb7\u3063\u305f\u3002<\/strong> (\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306e \u3060\u3044\u3057\u3093\u3086\u3046\u306f \u307e\u307b\u3046\u306e \u307e\u3081\u3092 \u304b\u3063\u305f\u3002) \u2014 My best friend bought some magic beans.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u5de8\u5927\u306a\u690d\u7269\u304c\u79c1\u306e\u5927\u89aa\u53cb\u3092\u96f2\u306b\u9023\u308c\u3066\u884c\u3063\u3066\u304f\u308c\u305f\u3002<\/strong> (\u304d\u3087\u3060\u3044\u306a \u3057\u3087\u304f\u3076\u3064\u304c \u308f\u305f\u3057\u306e \u3060\u3044\u3057\u3093\u3086\u3046\u3092 \u304f\u3082\u306b \u3064\u308c\u3066\u3044\u3063\u3066 \u304f\u308c\u305f\u3002) \u2014 A giant plant carried my very best friend up to the clouds.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u79c1\u306e\u5927\u89aa\u53cb\u306f\u7a7a\u306e\u4e0a\u306b\u7acb\u6d3e\u306a\u57ce\u3092\u898b\u3064\u3051\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/strong> (\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306e\u3060\u3044\u3057\u3093\u3086\u3046\u306f\u305d\u3089\u306e\u3046\u3048\u306b\u308a\u3063\u3071\u306a\u3057\u308d\u3092\u307f\u3064\u3051\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002) \u2014 My best friend discovered a magnificent castle up in the sky.<\/p>\n<h2>6. \u30c0\u30c1 (\u3060\u3061) \u2014 Buddy, bro (very informal slang, outdated)<\/h2>\n<p>While a dated phrase, you may run across <strong>\u30c0\u30c1<\/strong> (\u3060\u3061) in an older manga or anime series. It\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/japanese-slang-phrases\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">slang<\/a> that&#8217;s used mostly by young people and is considered <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/informal-japanese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">very informal speech<\/a>. As such, it should be used with care. These days, it probably shouldn\u2019t be used at all unless you\u2019re absolutely confident that you\u2019re using it in the correct context.<\/p>\n<p>Its inclusion in this post is more for you to be able to recognize it when it appears in reading or viewing material.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u4ffa\u306e\u30c0\u30c1\u306f\u30ec\u30fc\u30b9\u30ab\u30fc\u304c\u597d\u304d\u3060\u3002<\/strong> (\u304a\u308c\u306e \u3060\u3061\u306f \u308c\u30fc\u3059\u304b\u30fc\u304c \u3059\u304d\u3060\u3002 ) \u2014 My friends like race cars.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u30c0\u30c1\u306e\u8eca\u304c\u885d\u7a81\u3057\u305f\uff01<\/strong> (\u3060\u3061\u306e \u304f\u308b\u307e\u304c \u3057\u3087\u3046\u3068\u3064\u3057\u305f\uff01) \u2014 My friend\u2019s car has crashed!<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><b>\u30c0\u30c1\u304c\u71c3\u3048\u3066\u308b\uff01\u52a9\u3051\u3066\u304f\u308c\uff01 <\/b>(\u3060\u3061\u304c \u3082\u3048\u3066\u308b\uff01 \u305f\u3059\u3051\u3066\u304f\u308c\uff01) \u2014 My friends are on fire! Help!<\/p>\n<p>Note that when referring to a close friend, you&#8217;d say<strong> \u30de\u30d6\u30c0\u30c1\u00a0<\/strong>(\u307e\u3076\u3060\u3061) \u2014 best buddy\/bro (very informal). Again, care should be used, as it&#8217;s an outdated phrase and highly informal.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;d even go so far as to say that you should never use <strong>\u30c0\u30c1<\/strong>\u00a0or <strong>\u30de\u30d6\u30c0\u30c1<\/strong> in a conversation, but at least now you can recognize them when you come across them.<\/p>\n<h2>7. \u30d0\u30c7\u30a3 (\u3070\u3067\u3043) \u2014 Buddy, friend<\/h2>\n<p>As you can tell just from the sound, <strong>\u30d0\u30c7\u30a3<\/strong> is a loanword that comes from the English word &#8220;buddy.&#8221; It&#8217;s not super common and is only used in casual settings, usually by younger people.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u4e00\u7dd2\u306b\u30a2\u30a6\u30c8\u30c9\u30a2\u6d3b\u52d5\u3092\u697d\u3057\u3080\u30d0\u30c7\u30a3\u304c\u6b32\u3057\u3044\u3002<\/strong> (\u3044\u3063\u3057\u3087\u306b \u3042\u3046\u3068\u3069\u3042\u304b\u3064\u3069\u3046\u3092 \u305f\u306e\u3057\u3080 \u3070\u3067\u3043 \u304c \u307b\u3057\u3044\u3002) &#8211; I want a buddy to enjoy outdoor activities with.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u30d0\u30c7\u30a3\u3068\u4e00\u7dd2\u306b\u6620\u753b\u3092\u89b3\u306b\u884c\u3053\u3046\u3002<\/strong> (\u3070\u3067\u3043 \u3068 \u3044\u3063\u3057\u3087\u306b \u3048\u3044\u304c\u3092 \u307f\u306b \u3044\u3053\u3046\u3002) \u2014 Let&#8217;s go watch a movie with our buddies.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u5f7c\u306f\u4fe1\u983c\u3067\u304d\u308b\u30d0\u30c7\u30a3\u3067\u3001\u3044\u3064\u3082\u52a9\u3051\u3066\u304f\u308c\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u304b\u308c\u306f \u3057\u3093\u3089\u3044 \u3067\u304d\u308b \u3070\u3067\u3043 \u3067\u3001\u3044\u3064\u3082 \u305f\u3059\u3051\u3066\u304f\u308c\u307e\u3059\u3002) \u2014 He is a trustworthy buddy who always helps me.<\/p>\n<h2>8. \u9023\u308c (\u3064\u308c) or \u30c4\u30ec \u2014 Friend (informal, slang)<\/h2>\n<p><strong>\u9023\u308c<\/strong>, sometimes written as <strong>\u30c4\u30ec<\/strong>, is another informal\/slang term for a friend or companion and is most often used by young men. As with most slang words, you\u2019re going to want to be careful how you use it and probably avoid it unless you\u2019re certain you&#8217;re using it in the right context.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u30c4\u30ec\u306f\u5168\u54e1\u6771\u4eac\u306b\u884c\u3063\u3066\u3057\u307e\u3063\u305f\u3002<\/strong> (\u3064\u308c\u306f \u305c\u3093\u3044\u3093 \u3068\u3046\u304d\u3087\u3046\u306b \u3044\u3063\u3066\u3057\u307e\u3063\u305f\u3002) \u2014 All of my friends have gone to Tokyo.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u6771\u4eac\u306b\u5f15\u3063\u8d8a\u3057\u3066\u4ee5\u6765\u3001\u4ffa\u306f\u9023\u308c\u306b\u4f1a\u3063\u3066\u3044\u306a\u3044\u3002<\/strong> (\u3068\u3046\u304d\u3087\u3046\u306b\u3072\u3063\u3053\u3057\u3066\u3044\u3089\u3044\u3001\u304a\u308c\u306f \u3064\u308c\u306b \u3042\u3063\u3066\u3044\u306a\u3044\u3002) \u2014 I have not seen my friend since I moved to Tokyo.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><b>\u9023\u308c\u306e\u6d88\u606f\u3092\u805e\u3044\u305f\u3053\u3068\u304c\u3042\u308b\u304b\u3044\uff1f <\/b>(\u3064\u308c\u306e \u3057\u3087\u3046\u305d\u304f\u3092 \u304d\u3044\u305f\u3053\u3068\u304c \u3042\u308b\u304b\u3044\uff1f) \u2014 Have you heard the news of my friends?<\/p>\n<h2><strong>9. \u5e7c\u99b4\u67d3\u307f (<\/strong>\u304a\u3055\u306a\u306a\u3058\u307f) \u2014<strong>\u00a0Childhood friend<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This is quite a special term in Japanese. Childhood friends or \u5e7c\u99b4\u67d3\u307f usually live in the same neighborhood or attend the same school, and the word is often associated with feelings of nostalgia and affection.<\/p>\n<div class=\"group w-full text-gray-800 dark:text-gray-100 border-b border-black\/10 dark:border-gray-900\/50 bg-gray-50 dark:bg-[#444654]\">\n<div class=\"flex p-4 gap-4 text-base md:gap-6 md:max-w-2xl lg:max-w-[38rem] xl:max-w-3xl md:py-6 lg:px-0 m-auto\">\n<div class=\"relative flex w-[calc(100%-50px)] flex-col gap-1 md:gap-3 lg:w-[calc(100%-115px)]\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-grow flex-col gap-3\">\n<div class=\"min-h-[20px] flex items-start overflow-x-auto whitespace-pre-wrap break-words flex-col gap-4\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert light\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u5e7c\u99b4\u67d3\u307f\u3068\u306e\u518d\u4f1a\u306f\u5fc3\u304c\u6e29\u307e\u308b\u77ac\u9593\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u304a\u3055\u306a\u306a\u3058\u307f \u3068 \u306e \u3055\u3044\u304b\u3044 \u306f \u3053\u3053\u308d \u304c \u3042\u305f\u305f\u307e\u308b \u3057\u3085\u3093\u304b\u3093 \u3067\u3059\u3002) \u2014 Reuniting with a childhood friend is a heartwarming moment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u5e7c\u99b4\u67d3\u307f\u306e\u5f7c\u3068\u306f\u5bb6\u65cf\u540c\u7136\u306e\u95a2\u4fc2\u3067\u3059\u3002 <\/strong> (\u304a\u3055\u306a\u306a\u3058\u307f\u306e\u304b\u308c\u3068\u306f\u304b\u305e\u304f\u3069\u3046\u305c\u3093\u306e\u304b\u3093\u3051\u3044\u3067\u3059\u3002) \u2014 My childhood friend is like family to me.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u5e7c\u99b4\u67d3\u307f\u306e\u5f7c\u5973\u3068\u306f\u9060\u304f\u96e2\u308c\u3066\u3044\u3066\u3082\u3001\u5fc3\u306f\u3044\u3064\u3082\u7e4b\u304c\u3063\u3066\u3044\u308b\u3002<\/strong>(\u304a\u3055\u306a\u306a\u3058\u307f\u306e\u304b\u306e\u3058\u3087\u3068\u306f\u3068\u304a\u304f\u306f\u306a\u308c\u3066\u3044\u3066\u3082\u3001\u3053\u3053\u308d\u306f\u3044\u3064\u3082\u3064\u306a\u304c\u3063\u3066\u3044\u308b\u3002) \u2014 Even if we are far apart, my childhood friend (female) and I are always connected in our hearts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>10. \u76f8\u68d2 (\u3042\u3044\u307c\u3046) \u2014 Partner, friend, associate<\/h2>\n<p>When referring to a partner in a common activity, you might choose to use <strong>\u76f8\u68d2 <\/strong>when describing the relationship. The friendship is usually linked to a similar interest in something. <strong>\u76f8\u68d2 <\/strong>can describe this relationship in a very friendly manner and is similar to the English word \u201cbuddy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><b>\u50d5\u306e\u76f8\u68d2\u306f\u4e8c\u4eba\u5171\u3001\u5207\u624b\u53ce\u96c6\u5bb6\u3060\u3002<\/b>  (\u307c\u304f\u306e \u3042\u3044\u307c\u3046\u306f \u3075\u305f\u308a\u3068\u3082 \u304d\u3063\u3066\u3057\u3085\u3046\u3057\u3085\u3046\u304b \u3060\u3002) \u2014 Both [partners] of them are stamp collectors.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u4ffa\u306e\u76f8\u68d2\u306f\u3068\u3063\u3066\u3082\u30c6\u30cb\u30b9\u304c\u3046\u307e\u3044\u3002<\/strong> (\u304a\u308c\u306e \u3042\u3044\u307c\u3046\u306f \u3068\u3063\u3066\u3082 \u3066\u306b\u3059\u304c \u3046\u307e\u3044\u3002) \u2014 My buddy is a very skilled tennis player.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u76f8\u68d2\u3082\u30c1\u30a7\u30b9\u30af\u30e9\u30d6\u306b\u3044\u308b\u3002<\/strong> (\u3042\u3044\u307c\u3046\u3082 \u3061\u3047\u3059 \u304f\u3089\u3076\u306b \u3044\u308b\u3002) \u2014 My friend is also in the chess club.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>11. \u5473\u65b9 (\u307f\u304b\u305f) <\/strong>\u2014 <strong>Ally, supporter<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>\u5473\u65b9<\/strong> means a friend who supports, helps, or defends you, often in a specific situation. It&#8217;s commonly used in sports or competitions to describe someone who&#8217;s on your side or on your team. It also includes friends who stand up for you, especially when you&#8217;re having a problem.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u79c1\u306e\u53cb\u4eba\u306f\u79c1\u306e\u5473\u65b9\u3067\u3044\u3064\u3082\u652f\u3048\u3066\u304f\u308c\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306e \u3086\u3046\u3058\u3093\u306f \u308f\u305f\u3057\u306e \u307f\u304b\u305f \u3067 \u3044\u3064\u3082 \u3055\u3055\u3048\u3066\u304f\u308c\u307e\u3059\u3002) \u2014 My friend is always on my side and supports me.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u5f7c\u306f\u79c1\u306e\u6700\u3082\u4fe1\u983c\u3067\u304d\u308b\u5473\u65b9\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u304b\u308c\u306f \u308f\u305f\u3057\u306e \u3082\u3063\u3068\u3082 \u3057\u3093\u3089\u3044\u3067\u304d\u308b \u307f\u304b\u305f \u3067\u3059\u3002) \u2014 He is my most trusted ally.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u79c1\u305f\u3061\u306f\u56f0\u96e3\u306a\u6642\u306b\u304a\u4e92\u3044\u306e\u5473\u65b9\u3068\u306a\u308a\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u308f\u305f\u3057\u305f\u3061\u306f \u3053\u3093\u306a\u3093\u306a\u3068\u304d\u306b \u304a\u305f\u304c\u3044\u306e \u307f\u304b\u305f \u3068\u306a\u308a\u307e\u3059\u3002) \u2014 We become each other&#8217;s allies in difficult times.<\/p>\n<h2>12. \u4ef2\u9593 (\u306a\u304b\u307e) \u2014 Colleague, fellow, comrade<\/h2>\n<p>You often hear this word <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/anime-for-beginners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">used in anime<\/a> or see it in manga. It\u2019s a little rarer in general conversation, but it can be used in a few specific contexts. Its meaning stresses the collegial nature of a friendship, either professionally or within a social group. In English, you might associate it with the words &#8220;fellow&#8221; or &#8220;comrade.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u4ef2\u9593\u304c\u5bcc\u58eb\u5c71\u306b\u767b\u308a\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u306a\u304b\u307e\u304c \u3075\u3058\u3055\u3093\u306b \u306e\u307c\u308a\u307e\u3059\u3002) \u2014 My friends climb Mount Fuji.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u305d\u306e\u4eba\u306f\u79c1\u306e\u4ef2\u9593\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u305d\u306e\u3072\u3068\u306f \u308f\u305f\u3057\u306e \u306a\u304b\u307e \u3067\u3059\u3002) \u2014 That man is my comrade.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u79c1\u9054\u306f\u7686\u3001\u30c1\u30a7\u30b9\u30af\u30e9\u30d6\u306e\u4ef2\u9593\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u308f\u305f\u3057\u305f\u3061\u306f \u307f\u306a\u3001\u3061\u3047\u3059 \u304f\u3089\u3076\u306e \u306a\u304b\u307e \u3067\u3059\u3002) \u2014 We are all friends of the chess club.<\/p>\n<h2>13. \u540c\u50da (\u3069\u3046\u308a\u3087\u3046) \u2014 Co-worker, colleague<\/h2>\n<p>This word refers to a co-worker or colleague.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u540c\u50da\u306f\u4eca\u591c\u3001\u30d0\u30fc\u3067\u4f1a\u3063\u3066\u3044\u308b\u3002<\/strong> (\u3069\u3046\u308a\u3087\u3046\u306f \u3053\u3093\u3084\u3001\u3070\u30fc\u3067 \u3042\u3063\u3066\u3044\u308b\u3002) \u2014 My co-workers are meeting at the bar tonight.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u540c\u50da\u306f\u6628\u591c\u3001\u975e\u5e38\u306b\u9154\u3063\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3002<\/strong> (\u3069\u3046\u308a\u3087\u3046\u306f \u3055\u304f\u3084\u3001\u3072\u3058\u3087\u3046\u306b \u3088\u3063\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3002) \u2014 My colleagues got very drunk last night.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u540c\u50da\u306f\u5168\u54e1\u3001\u5211\u52d9\u6240\u306b\u3044\u308b\u3002<\/strong> (\u3069\u3046\u308a\u3087\u3046\u306f \u305c\u3093\u3044\u3093\u3001\u3051\u3044\u3080\u3057\u3087\u306b \u3044\u308b\u3002) \u2014 All of my co-workers are in jail.<\/p>\n<h2>14. \u76df\u53cb (\u3081\u3044\u3086\u3046) \u2014 Business colleague or co-worker, political ally<\/h2>\n<p>When referring to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/business-japanese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a business colleague<\/a> or when indicating an ally in a political context, you can use <strong>\u76df\u53cb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u79c1\u306e\u76df\u53cb\u306f\u653f\u6cbb\u8077\u306b\u7acb\u5019\u88dc\u3057\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306e \u3081\u3044\u3086\u3046\u306f \u305b\u3044\u3058\u3057\u3087\u304f\u306b \u308a\u3063\u3053\u3046\u307b \u3057\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002) \u2014 My colleague is running for political office.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u79c1\u306f\u7dd1\u306e\u515a\u306b\u76df\u53cb\u304c\u3044\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002<\/strong> (\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306f \u307f\u3069\u308a\u306e\u3068\u3046\u306b \u3081\u3044\u3086\u3046\u304c \u3044\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002) \u2014 I have no allies in the Green Party.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u76df\u53cb\u3068\u79c1\u306f\u56fa\u3044\u63e1\u624b\u3092\u4ea4\u308f\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/strong> (\u3081\u3044\u3086\u3046\u3068 \u308f\u305f\u3057\u306f \u304b\u305f\u3044 \u3042\u304f\u3057\u3085\u3092 \u304b\u308f\u3057\u305f\u3002) \u2014 My colleague and I clasped hands.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>While Japanese speakers may not explicitly discuss friendship among each other, there&#8217;s no shortage of Japanese words or phrases to indicate a variety of friendship types.<\/p>\n<p>The range of words referencing friendship outnumber those in English, but, as with any language, it\u2019s important to understand the context behind a word before using it. This means that using contextual learning like the immersive video-style learning on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/japanese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FluentU<\/a> is one of the best ways to know how to use these words in actual conversation. <p><strong>FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<p>You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/fluentu-learn-language-videos\/id917892175\">the iOS app<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.fluentflix.fluentu&amp;hl=en&amp;gl=US\">Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><i><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\r\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/NativeAd-Japanese.jpg\" alt=\"FluentU Ad\" \/>\r\n  <p style=\"text-align: center\">\r\n    <button class=\"btn-blue\" style=\"border: none;font-size: 18px;text-align: center;padding: 0.75rem 1.5rem;cursor: pointer\">\r\n      Try FluentU for FREE!\r\n  <\/button>\r\n  <\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\n<p>In most cases, <strong>\u53cb\u9054 <\/strong>(\u3068\u3082\u3060\u3061)\u00a0and <strong>\u53cb\u4eba <\/strong>(\u3086\u3046\u3058\u3093) are the safest choices.<\/p>\n<p>But, go ahead and explore the broad spectrum of ways to express friendship in Japanese. Talking about friendship is always a good thing!<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"aomtjapan\"> \r\n<p>\r\n<h2>And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n<p>\r\nIf you love learning Japanese with authentic materials, then I should also tell you <strong><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">more about FluentU<\/a>.<\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU naturally and gradually eases you into learning Japanese language and culture. You'll learn real Japanese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU has a broad range of contemporary videos as you'll see below:\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2474\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/Japnaese-5.png\" alt=\"learn-japanese-with-videos\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\n<strong>FluentU makes these native Japanese videos approachable through interactive transcripts.<\/strong> Tap on any word to look it up instantly.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2477\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/Japanese-2.png\" alt=\"learn-japanese-with-songs\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nAll definitions have multiple examples, and they're written for Japanese learners like you. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2476\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/Japanese-6.png\" alt=\"learn-japanese-with-movies\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nAnd FluentU has a learn mode which turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2478\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/Japanese-7.png\" alt=\"practice-japanese-with-adaptive-quizzes\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nThe best part? FluentU keeps track of your vocabulary, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it\u2019s time to review what you\u2019ve learned.<strong> You'll have a 100% personalized experience. <\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nStart using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a>\r\n<\/p> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With more than 120 million Japanese speakers on the planet, it would be surprising if you didn\u2019t know one or two of them. Inevitably, you\u2019re going to need to describe&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":696,"featured_media":252198,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"14 Ways to Say Friend in Japanese: From BFFs to Business Associates | FluentU Japanese Blog","description":"Discover 14 ways to say friend in Japanese with this guide, which covers important words like \u53cb\u9054 (tomodachi) and \u4ef2\u9593 (nakama). From close friends to coworkers and even childhood friends, learn how to talk about friends in Japanese! We'll show you exactly how to use each word, complete with example sentences and audio."},"footnotes":""},"categories":[545,549],"tags":[],"coauthors":[655],"class_list":["post-107355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-japanese","category-japanese-vocab-and-grammar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/696"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107355"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107355\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":250269,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107355\/revisions\/250269"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107355"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=107355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}