{"id":182101,"date":"2023-11-16T14:16:01","date_gmt":"2023-11-16T19:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/friend-in-chinese\/"},"modified":"2025-02-19T06:21:20","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T11:21:20","slug":"friend-in-chinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/chinese\/friend-in-chinese\/","title":{"rendered":"22 Ways to Say Friend in Chinese for Every Type of Relationship"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Beginners in Chinese learn that \u670b\u53cb <em>(p\u00e9ng you)<\/em> is how you say &#8220;friend,&#8221; but just like in English, there are various ways to describe friendships in Mandarin.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you&#8217;re referring to your bestie, colleague or anything in between, find out all the terms for &#8220;friend&#8221; in Chinese in this post.<\/p>\n<p>[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n<h2>\u670b\u53cb <em>(p\u00e9ng you):<\/em> The Most Common Way to Say &#8220;Friend&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p>This is the most common way to say &#8220;friend&#8221; in Mandarin Chinese. It can be used to refer to any kind of friend, from a casual acquaintance to a close confidante.<\/p>\n<p>The word is composed of two characters: <strong>\u670b<\/strong> <em>(p\u00e9ng)<\/em> means &#8220;friend&#8221; or &#8220;companion,&#8221; and <strong>\u53cb<\/strong> <em>(y\u01d2u)<\/em> means &#8220;friend&#8221; or &#8220;buddy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>You can use \u670b\u53cb to address someone directly or to talk about friends in general. For example:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u8fd9\u662f\u6211\u7684<strong>\u670b\u53cb<\/strong>\u3002 <em>(<\/em>z<em>h\u00e8 sh\u00ec w\u01d2 de p\u00e9ng you)<\/em> \u2014 This is my friend<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u670b\u53cb<\/strong>\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u51fa\u53bb\u5403\u996d\u3002 <em>(p\u00e9ng you men y\u00ec q\u01d0 ch\u016b q\u00f9 ch\u012b f\u00e0n)<\/em> \u2014 The friends are going out to eat together.<\/p>\n<p>As you can see above, the word \u670b\u53cb can also be used to refer to one friend or multiple friends.<\/p>\n<p>You can quite easily get away with only knowing the word \u670b\u53cb for &#8220;friend&#8221; in Chinese. But for more nuanced relationships, there are plenty of other words for &#8220;friend&#8221; in Chinese. For the most effective way to learn new ways to refer to a friend, you may want to turn to a program that lets you see vocabulary words in context, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/chinese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FluentU<\/a>. <span data-sheets-root=\"1\"><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<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\r\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/NativeAd-Chinese.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<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Other Ways to Say &#8220;Friend&#8221; in Chinese<\/h2>\n<h3>\u77e5\u5df1 <em>(zh\u012b j\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 Intimate friend<\/h3>\n<p>Is someone more than just a friend to you? Use this word to refer to your bosom friend who understands you deeply. This term carries a profound sense of understanding.<\/p>\n<p>You would typically reserve \u77e5\u5df1 for those few individuals who truly know you well and with whom you have a strong emotional connection.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>\u597d\u670b\u53cb <em>(h\u01ceo p\u00e9ng you)<\/em> \u2014 Good friend<\/h3>\n<p>This is a general term for a friend who is close and trustworthy, but may not necessarily be as intimately connected as a \u77e5\u5df1. You can use \u597d\u670b\u53cb to refer to friends with whom you have a strong and positive relationship. These are the friends you enjoy spending time with, sharing experiences, and supporting each other.<\/p>\n<h3>\u4eb2\u53cb <em>(q\u012bn y\u01d2u)<\/em> \u2014 Dear friend<\/h3>\n<p>This word combines \u4eb2 <em>(q\u012bn)<\/em> meaning &#8220;close&#8221; or &#8220;dear&#8221; with \u53cb <em>(y\u01d2u)<\/em> meaning &#8220;friend.&#8221; \u4eb2\u53cb is often used to describe friends who aren&#8217;t just casual acquaintances but have a deeper and more meaningful connection. These are the friends you might turn to for support in times of need!<\/p>\n<h3>\u597d\u53cb <em>(h\u01ceo y\u01d2u)<\/em> \u2014 Good friend<\/h3>\n<p>\u597d\u53cb also means &#8220;good friend&#8221; but is a more casual term compared to the previous two. It can encompass a broader range of friendships, including both close and less close friends. You can use it to refer to friends with whom you have a good relationship, whether they&#8217;re very close or more casual friends.<\/p>\n<h3>\u4eb2\u8fd1\u7684\u4eba <em>(q\u012bn j\u00ecn de r\u00e9n)<\/em> \u2014 Close Person<\/h3>\n<p>This is another term used to refer to family members or friends with whom you share a deep emotional bond and intimacy. It often refers to those individuals who know you well, with whom you share your thoughts and feelings and who are an integral part of your life.<\/p>\n<h3>\u540c\u5fd7 <em>(t\u00f3ng zh\u00ec)<\/em> \u2014 Comrade<\/h3>\n<p>Originally used to refer to comrades in a political or revolutionary context, this term has also been used to describe individuals who share a common goal, ideology or cause. It can carry connotations of unity and solidarity, often used within socialist or communist movements.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, the term has also been used to refer to individuals in the LGBTQ+ community, particularly in Mainland China, where it has taken on a more colloquial meaning related to sexual orientation and gender identity.<\/p>\n<h3>\u8001\u670b\u53cb <em>(l\u01ceo p\u00e9ng you)<\/em> \u2014 Old friend<\/h3>\n<p>\u8001\u670b\u53cb literally translates to &#8220;old friend.&#8221; It&#8217;s used to refer to someone with whom you&#8217;ve had a long-standing relationship or friendship. It&#8217;s often used to describe friends you&#8217;ve known for a significant period of time, regardless of the level of closeness.<\/p>\n<h3>\u8001\u53cb <em>(l\u01ceo y\u01d2u)<\/em> \u2014 Old friend\/buddy<\/h3>\n<p>\u8001\u53cb also translates to &#8220;old friend,&#8221; but it carries a more informal and colloquial tone. This term can be seen as a bit nostalgic and is often used in a casual or friendly context, similar to how you might refer to an old buddy or pal in English.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>\u5fd7\u540c\u9053\u5408\u7684\u4eba<em> (zh\u00ec t\u00f3ng d\u00e0o h\u00e9 de r\u00e9n) <\/em>\u2014 Like-minded individuals<\/h3>\n<p>People who share the same aspirations and values are often referred to as \u5fd7\u540c\u9053\u5408\u7684\u4eba. This term refers to people who share similar goals, values, beliefs or interests.<\/p>\n<p>In essence, the term emphasizes the idea that these individuals not only have common interests but also share a deep sense of alignment in their values and goals, which brings them together in a meaningful way. It&#8217;s used to highlight the unity and camaraderie among like-minded individuals.<\/p>\n<h3>\u95fa\u871c <em>(gu\u012b m\u00ec)<\/em> \u2014 Best friend (between females)<em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>This is a Chinese term that emphasizes the close and intimate relationship between two female friends. The characters \u95fa <em>(gu\u012b)<\/em> and \u871c <em>(m\u00ec)<\/em> respectively mean &#8220;room&#8221; and &#8220;close.&#8221; Together, they convey the idea of a friend who&#8217;s as close as if they&#8217;re sharing the same room or secrets.<\/p>\n<h3>\u4f19\u4f34 <em>(hu\u01d2 b\u00e0n)<\/em> \u2014 Partner<\/h3>\n<p>This term encompasses the idea of a companion or collaborator with whom you engage in shared activities, projects or journeys. It can refer to various types of partnerships, including work partners, study partners and travel companions. This is the term you&#8217;d use for your buddy who&#8217;s always down for an impromptu road trip or your tennis doubles partner.<\/p>\n<h3>\u540c\u4f34 <em>(t\u00f3ng b\u00e0n)<\/em> \u2014 Companion<\/h3>\n<p>\u540c\u4f34 also means &#8220;companion&#8221; or &#8220;mate,&#8221; but it emphasizes the idea of someone who accompanies you or shares an experience with you. It implies that you&#8217;re going through something together. The term can be used to describe travel companions, friends who engage in hobbies together or partners in various endeavors.<\/p>\n<h3>\u4f34\u4fa3 <em>(b\u00e0n l\u01da)<\/em> \u2014 Companion<\/h3>\n<p>This word refers to a companion or partner in a broader sense and can be used to describe everything from spouses to a beloved pet to a business partner. It implies a deep and committed relationship.<\/p>\n<h3>\u540c\u5b66 <em>(t\u00f3ng xu\u00e9)<\/em> \u2014 Schoolmate<\/h3>\n<p>This refers to a person who has attended the same school as you, either simultaneously or at some point in the past. It&#8217;s used in basically the same way that you&#8217;d use &#8220;schoolmate&#8221; in English.<\/p>\n<h3>\u540c\u4e8b <em>(t\u00f3ng sh\u00ec)<\/em> \u2014 Colleague<\/h3>\n<p>Use this for a person who works alongside you in the same workplace. \u540c\u4e8b emphasizes work-related relationships rather than personal connections, and it&#8217;s a neutral term used to address and refer to people within a professional context. Whether they&#8217;re close collaborators or people you have limited interaction with, they can all be referred to as \u540c\u4e8b.<\/p>\n<h3>\u54e5\u4eec\u513f <em>(g\u0113 men er)<\/em> \u2014 (Male) Buddy\/pal (Beijing dialect)<\/h3>\n<p>\u54e5\u4eec\u513f is a colloquial term used in the Beijing dialect. It&#8217;s an informal and friendly way to refer to a male friend, and it carries a sense of camaraderie and closeness. This term is often used between close buddies to address each other in a casual and affectionate manner. It&#8217;s similar to saying &#8220;buddy&#8221; or &#8220;pal&#8221; in English and reflects a comfortable and informal relationship between friends.<\/p>\n<h3>\u5973\u6027\u670b\u53cb <em>(n\u01da x\u00ecng p\u00e9ng you)<\/em> \u2014 Female friend, and \u7537\u6027\u670b\u53cb <em>(n\u00e1nx\u00ecng p\u00e9ngyou)<\/em> \u2014 Male friend<\/h3>\n<p>To specify a male friend, you can use \u7537\u6027\u670b\u53cb <em>(n\u00e1n x\u00ecng p\u00e9ng you),<\/em> where \u7537\u6027 <em>(n\u00e1n x\u00ecng)<\/em> means male. For a female friend, you use \u5973\u6027\u670b\u53cb <em>(n\u01da x\u00ecng p\u00e9ng you),<\/em> with \u5973\u6027 <em>(n\u01da x\u00ecng)<\/em> meaning &#8220;female.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>These terms explicitly indicate the gender of the friend without implying a romantic relationship.<\/p>\n<h3>\u5144\u5f1f <em>(xi\u014dng d\u00ec)<\/em> \u2014 Brother, and \u59d0\u59b9 <em>(ji\u011b m\u00e8i)<\/em> \u2014 Sister<\/h3>\n<p>When you call a friend a brother or sister, you&#8217;re highlighting the emotional connection and intimacy that you share. It implies that you consider your friend to be like family and that you have a strong sense of loyalty and care for them.<\/p>\n<h3>\u54e5\u54e5 <em>(g\u0113 ge)<\/em> \u2014 Bro, and \u59d0\u59d0 (ji\u011b jie) \u2014 Sis<\/h3>\n<p>Shorten &#8220;brother&#8221; and &#8220;sister&#8221; to get these more casual words. You&#8217;re probably familiar with their use in English, where they&#8217;re used in basically the same way.<\/p>\n<h3>\u5973\u670b\u53cb <em>(n\u01da p\u00e9ng you)<\/em> \u2014 Girlfriend, and \u7537\u670b\u53cb <em>(n\u00e1n p\u00e9ng you)<\/em> \u2014 Boyfriend<\/h3>\n<p>\u5973\u670b\u53cb is used to refer to a female romantic partner while \u7537\u670b\u53cb is the Chinese word for &#8220;boyfriend.&#8221; Both are used to refer to romantic partners.<\/p>\n<h3>\u5973\u53cb <em>(n\u01da y\u01d2u)<\/em> \u2014 Girlfriend, and \u7537\u53cb <em>(n\u00e1n y\u01d2u)<\/em> \u2014 Boyfriend<\/h3>\n<p>You may hear young people use these abbreviations. These terms are informal but increasingly common, especially in online and social media contexts.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Practice using the different ways to say &#8220;friend&#8221; in Chinese with your Chinese-speaking friends!<\/p>\n<p><span data-sheets-root=\"1\"><h2>And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n<p>\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_12840\" style=\"width: 330px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12840\" class=\" wp-image-12840 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Chinese-5.png\" alt=\"learn-mandarin-chinese-with-videos\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-12840\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/chinese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>\r\n<strong>FluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_12843\" style=\"width: 330px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12843\" class=\"wp-image-12843 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Chinese-6.png\" alt=\"learn-mandarin-chinese-with-subtitled-song-and-music-videos\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-12843\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/chinese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU's <strong>Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_12844\" style=\"width: 330px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12844\" class=\"wp-image-12844 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Chinese-7.png\" alt=\"practice-mandarin-chinese-with-adaptive-quizzes\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-12844\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/chinese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FluentU Has Quizzes for Every Video<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>\r\nThe best part is that FluentU always keeps track of your vocabulary. It customizes quizzes to focus on areas that need attention and reminds you when it\u2019s time to review what you\u2019ve learned. <strong> You 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> <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Beginners in Chinese learn that \u670b\u53cb (p\u00e9ng you) is how you say &#8220;friend,&#8221; but just like in English, there are various ways to describe friendships in Mandarin. Whether you&#8217;re referring&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":152,"featured_media":251151,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"22 Ways to Say Friend in Chinese for Every Type of Relationship | FluentU Chinese Blog","description":"Explore how to say \"friend\" in Chinese for any level of friendship. From commonly used terms to nuanced expressions reserved for intimate friends, this guide covers 22 ways to say \"friend\" in Chinese. Use this guide to help you strengthen your connections with diverse expressions for various relationships."},"footnotes":""},"categories":[724,725],"tags":[],"coauthors":[169],"class_list":["post-182101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chinese","category-chinese-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182101","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\/152"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=182101"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":242904,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182101\/revisions\/242904"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=182101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=182101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=182101"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=182101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}