essay on my friend in japanese

Japanese friends: two young women wearing colourful kimono, standing under the cherry tree and seeing the cherry blossom. They are taking a selfie together.

9 Ways to Say Friend in Japanese – From Acquaintance to BFF

Close friend, best friend, childhood friend, BFF – we describe our friendships in English using adjectives before the word ‘friend’.

We can also use other words for people we know from work and school, such as colleague, acquaintance, peer, and so on.

So it should come as no surprise that Japanese has more than one word for ‘friend’ !

Yes, there is a whole world outside of just tomodachi for describing our different friends in life. The kanji characters for these words can help us understand and memorize the meaning behind each way to say ‘friend’ in Japanese. For example, the kanji character 友（とも/ ゆう・ tomo / yuu ）found in tomodachi means ‘friend’, and it appears in several words about friendship. There are many types of ‘friend’ words which don’t use this kanji though, and today we hope you walk away better informed with some new vocab up your sleeve!

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友達　/ ともだち friend Tomodachi (友達 / ともだち) is first up and it’s the one that you probably already know. It’s divided into two kanji characters tomo (友 / とも) which means friend , and dachi ( 達 / だち) which refers to the plural form of the noun for ‘person’ (more than one).

For example watashi means ‘I’ in Japanese but watashi-tachi (私達 / わたしたち) means ‘we’ or ‘us’. So tomo-dachi literally translates to ‘friends’!

But it actually doesn’t matter whether it’s one, two or more friends you are talking about, tomodachi is both singular and plural.

For example, you might say:

Tomodachi ga shigoto wo shoukai shite kureta. 友達が仕事を紹介してくれた。ともだちがしごとをしょうかいしてくれた。 My friend introduced me to a job.

Or on a travel website, it might say:

Tomodachi to issho ni kyanpu wo tanoshimeru! 友達と一緒にキャンプを楽しめる！ともだちといっしょにキャンプをたのしめる！ Enjoy camping together with friends !

Tomodachi can be used in most situations, but it doesn’t reveal any details about the closeness of the friendship. Tomodachi could be a friend who you just enjoy spending time with, or it could mean someone you’re close to… we’ll never know!

友人　 / ゆうじん friend (polite)

Yuujin (友人 / ゆうじん) is the formal version of tomodachi and shares the same first kanji 友 (friend), pronounced here as yuu with its Chinese reading ( onyomi) . If you’ve learned the Grade 1 Jōyō kanji , you will recognize the next character人 (じん/jin) which means person! Like tomodachi, yuujin can be both singular or plural, so you can refer to one or many friends using this word. The difference is that yuujin is used in formal situations while tomodachi is a casual word used by children too.

If speaking about a friend in a job interview, work, or at special event, yuujin is more appropriate:

Yuujin wo daihyou shite Yamada-sama, supeechi wo onegai itashi masu. 友人を代表して山田様、スピーチをお願い致します。ゆうじんをだいひょうしてやまださま、スピーチをおねがいいたします。 On behalf of her friend(s), we humbly request Ms. Yamada-sama to make a speech.

Yuujin can be used in casual conversation too, it’s just less common than tomodachi!

親友　/ しんゆう close friend, best friend

Two young Asian women with their arms round each other, pulling silly faces

Shinyuu (親友 / しんゆう) doesn’t have a direct translation in English, but we know from its kanji characters that this friend is closer than your tomodachi or yuujin.

Shin (親) means ‘intimate’ and as we know tomo / yuu （友）means ‘friend’. While ‘intimate friend’ would sound pretty weird in English, shinyuu can mean close friend or best friend. Your shinyuu is the friend you have a deep connection with and who is there during the good and bad times. They are special to you!

You can use shinyuu to distinguish this friend from the rest.

大親友　 / だいしんゆう best friend, great friend, BFF

We know shinyuu is a really close friend but daishinyuu (大親友/だいしんゆう) is your BFF (best friend forever)! The first character, dai (大 / だい) means ‘big’ or ‘great’ and emphasizes that this person is indeed your number one friend.

Rie-chan, watashi tachi wa daishinyuu desho? りえちゃん、私たちは大親友でしょ？りえちゃん、わたしたちはだいしんゆうでしょ？ Rie-chan, we’re best friends / BFF’s right?

仲間　/ なかま mate, friend, pal, peer

three elderly men playing table football together and laughing

Nakama (仲間 / なかま) refers to the relationship between people who do a professional or shared activity together whether its work, a hobby, a club etc.

Nakama has two kanji: 仲 (なか/ naka) which means ‘relation’ or ‘relationship’ and 間（ま /ma） which means ‘among’ and ‘between’.

Kare wa sakaa bu no nakama desu. 彼はサッカー部の仲間です。かれはサッカーぶのなかまです。 He’s my mate from the football / soccer club.

Nakama is popular in anime because its group-oriented, and members share a common goal or aspiration.

味方　 / 　みかた ally, supporter, comrade, partner

Mikata (味方 / みかた) describes a friendship where you are ‘on someone’s side’ or you share the same goal or circumstances. In this way it is similar to nakama, your companion through a shared activity.

Mikata introduces two completely different kanji again!

味 (mi) means taste/flavor but it also means feeling or sense.

方 ( kata) means a direction, so we could think of mikata as a sense for the same direction , if that makes it easier to remember!

Most likely said by a guy to his comrade:

Daijoubu, ore wa kimi no mikata da yo! 大丈夫、俺は君の味方だよ！だいじょうぶ、おれはきみのみかただよ！ Don’t worry, I’m on your side no matter what! / It’s okay, I’m your ally no matter what!

同僚　 / どうりょう coworker, colleague

Douryou is a formal expression that we can use for our coworkers. The kanji 同 (どう / dou ) means ‘same’ in English, and 僚 (りょう/ ryou) means an official, a colleague or a companion. Therefore we can think about douryou as people who share the same workplace.

Kinou, douryou to sushi wo tabeta. 昨日、同僚と寿司を食べた。きのう、どうりょうとすしをたべた。 Yesterday, I ate sushi with my colleague .

osananajimi

幼馴染　/ おさななじみ childhood friend

Two young Japanese women sit on the porch of a traditional Japanese home, chatting

Osananajimi is a childhood friend you grew up with and it has an air of nostalgia about it. 幼 (おさな/ osana) means ‘childhood’, 馴 (な/ na ) is the kanji for ‘to get used to’ and 染 (じみ/ jimi) means to dye or stain.

While the last kanji is a little random, we could remember osananajimi as a friend who you knew for so long, they’re stuck in your memory like a dye stain on your clothes. How’s that for memorization?

知り合い　 / しりあい acquaintance

Shiriai (知り合い / しりあい) combines two words, shiri (知り) meaning ‘to know’ and ai (会い/あい) meaning ‘to meet’. Shiriai translates to ‘acquaintance’ in English, the people you meet in different settings through work or a mutual friend for example.

Kanojo no shiriai ga ooi desu. 彼女の知り合いが多いです。かのじょのしりあいがおおいです。 She has a large circle of acquaintances / She has many acquaintances.

A similar word to shiriai is chijin (知人/ちじん) which refers to someone whom you know by name and are familiar with.

So, now you know lots of different ways to say friend in Japanese.

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Infographic titled 'Japanese words for friend' and introducing some different ways to say friend in Japanese.

Francesca Rex-Horoi

Francesca is a freelance copywriter and teacher, who moved to Tokyo from New Zealand at age 24. A linguistics and ESL major, she spent 3 years teaching at an all-boys high school. Now based in France, she remains a self-confessed Japanophile who loves kanji, cooking, cats and the outdoors.

14 Fascinating Ways to Say ‘Friend’ in Japanese

It's no secret that friendship plays an important role in all cultures, but in Japan, it is on a whole other level of importance. You can take a closer look at this idea by understanding the many ways the people of Japan refer to their friends. From the endearing "Tomodachi" to the more formal and respectful "Yuujin," there are so many beautiful words for "friend" in Japanese. It's been said that each word has a meaning and context behind it; when used correctly, it conveys feelings of warmth, love, and special connection. So if you hope to better understand Japan and its culture, these 14 ways of saying 'friend' will bring you one step closer.

Table of Contents

Tomodachi (友達)

"Tomodachi" is an invaluable word in the Japanese language, often translating to "friend" or "companion". It reminds us of the warm memories we share with our closest friends, family members, and lovers.

This beautiful word invokes feelings of love , joy, and comfort, reflecting the Japanese culture's deep appreciation for friendship. 友達 (Tomodachi) is a universal term that can be used in various contexts to describe those cherished special people in our lives.

Here are some examples of how 友達 (Tomodachi) can be used in Japanese:

(Kanojo wa watashi no tomodachi desu.)

She is my friend.

私の友達は日本人です.

(Watashi no tomodachi wa nihonjin desu.)

My friend is Japanese.

私は彼の友達と一緒に過ごします.

(Watashi wa kare no tomodachi to issho ni sugoshimasu.)

I spend time with his friend.

Yuujin (友人)

The Japanese word "Yuujin" describes a more formal relationship than the regular Tomodachi. It translates to "friend" in English, but usually refers to someone more distant, such as an acquaintance or colleague.

This allows individuals to be polite and respectful while speaking with people in both social and professional situations. It's a great way of setting the tone when introducing yourself or others in a formal environment.

Learning this term can help enrich your knowledge of proper etiquette in the Japanese language and be beneficial for any situation that calls for politeness and respect.

Examples of sentences using the word Yuujin (友人) include:

私の友人は私に良いアドバイスを与えてくれます.

(Watashi no yūjin wa watashi ni yoi adobaisu o ataete kuremasu.)

My friend gives me good advice.

友人と一緒に過ごす時間は最高です.

(Yūjin to issho ni sugosu jikan wa saikō desu.)

Spending time with friends is the best.

私の友人は私を支えてくれます.

(Watashi no yūjin wa watashi o sasaete kuremasu.)

My friends support me.

Shinyuu (親友)

The term "Shinyuu" is a special one in the Japanese language, representing a bond that goes beyond the level of friendship; it gives meaning to a relationship with a deep sense of trust and understanding.

It's used to describe someone more than just your best friend, but rather your closest confidant, who knows you inside and out and can be entirely trusted with anything you may have to say.

Coming across this unique word can be incredibly meaningful for those living in Japan or engaging in Japanese culture.

Examples of sentences using the word Shinyuu (親友) include:

私の親友は私の秘密を守ってくれます.

(Watashi no shinyū wa watashi no himitsu o mamotte kuremasu.)

My best friend keeps my secrets.

親友と一緒に旅行するのは最高です.

(Shinyū to issho ni ryokō suru no wa saikō desu.)

Traveling with my best friend is the best.

親友は私の人生で最も重要な人です.

(Shinyū wa watashi no jinsei de mottomo jūyō na hito desu.)

My best friend is the most important person in my life.

Daishinyuu (大親友)

"Daishinyuu" is an even more powerful term that goes beyond Shinyuu and actually translates to "closest of friends." This term is usually used for very special relationships cultivated over many years and signifies a strong bond that can withstand any challenge life throws at it.

In Japan, the term Daishinyuu can represent relationships that span decades and generations, connecting people of all ages and backgrounds. It's a way to communicate the level of admiration, respect, and devotion we have for those who play an important part in our lives.

Examples of sentences using Daishinyuu (大親友) include:

私の大親友は私と一緒に毎日過ごします.

(Watashi no daishinyū wa watashi to issho ni mainichi sugoshimasu.)

My closest friend and I spend every day together.

大親友との約束は常に守られます.

(Daishinyū to no yakusoku wa tsune ni mamoraremasu.)

Promises with my closest friend are always kept.

私の大親友は私の人生で最も信頼できる人です.

(Watashi no daishinyū wa watashi no jinsei de mottomo shinrai dekiru hito desu.)

My closest friend is the most trustworthy person in my life.

Nakama (仲間)

The term "Nakama" is deeply rooted in Japanese culture and is used when expressing strong connections between people. It means "comrade" or "companion." It is often used to refer to someone who is a close friend, colleague, or even family member.

People who share common experiences or interests might refer to each other as "Nakama," signifying the level of trust and understanding they have for one another.

This concept is like having a second family - those close enough to be just like family but isn't necessarily blood-related.

Examples of sentences using Nakama (仲間) include:

私たちは一緒に働く仲間です.

(Watashitachi wa issho ni hataraku nakama desu.)

We are working together as comrades.

スポーツチームの仲間は私をサポートしてくれます.

(Supōtsu chīmu no Nakama wa watashi o sapōto shite kuremasu.)

My teammates in sports team support me.

仲間と一緒に過ごす時間は最高です.

(Nakama to issho ni sugosu jikan wa saikō desu.)

Spending time with comrades is the best.

Mikata (味方)

In Japan, "Mikata" is widely used to show appreciation when someone stands by you in difficult times or even lends a helping hand in a pinch. It can refer to a close friend, ally, or confidant and can also be used in business settings.

Whether it's simply being someone you can talk to or providing aid in your hour of need, "Mikata" truly embodies the inseparable bond between two people.

It also serves as an expression of thankfulness - for staying faithful to the relationship and remaining a loyal ally of justice.

So next time you encounter a friend you feel especially grateful for, take some time to tell them how much their loyalty means to you with this meaningful Japanese word.

Examples of sentences using Mikata (味方) include:

私たちは同じ目標を持って味方です.

(Watashitachi wa onaji mokutekou wo motte mikata desu.)

We are allies with the same goal.

彼は私の味方であり、サポーターです.

(Kare wa watashi no mikata de ari, sapōtā desu.)

He is my ally and supporter.

私たちは味方であり、パートナーです.

(Watashitachi wa mikata de ari, pātonā desu.)

We are allies and partners.

The word "Aibou" is another way to express strong friendship in Japanese.

It literally translates to "partnered friendship," implying a relationship between two people who are so closely connected, they can be considered a single entity.

"Aibou" is often used to refer to two people with complementary mindsets, as if they are two parts of one whole. They may enjoy participating in activities together and rely on each other for support and advice.

Examples of sentences using Aibou (相棒) include:

私の相棒は私をサポートしてくれます.

(Watashi no aibō wa watashi o sapōto shite kuremasu.)

My partner supports me.

相棒と一緒に仕事をするのは楽しいです.

(Aibō to issho ni shigoto o suru no wa tanoshī desu.)

Working with a partner is fun.

相棒は私の長所を補ってくれます.

(Aibō wa Watashi no chōsho o kotte kuremasu.)

My partner complements my strengths.

Douryou (同僚)

The phrase "Douryou" encapsulates the idea that even if two working colleagues don't call each other friends, they should still respect and support one another.

This type of atmosphere is vital in a professional environment. After all, an individual or group can only succeed if everyone is pulling in the same direction.

The word "Douryou" can therefore be used to describe any relationship between two people who work together and strive to support each other.

Examples of sentences using Douryou (同僚) include:

私の同僚たちは仕事で協力してくれます.

(Watashi no dōryō-tachi wa shigoto de kyōryoku shite kuremasu.)

"My colleagues help me out with work."

同僚と一緒に働くことは楽しいです.

(Dōryō to issho ni hataraku koto wa tanoshī desu)

Working with colleagues is fun.

私の同僚は私の能力を引き出してくれます.

(Watashi no dōryō wa watashi no nōryoku o hikidashite kuremasu)

My colleagues bring out my abilities.

Doukyuusei (同級生)

"Doukyuusei" is the term used to describe a classmate who's grown extremely close over the course of their school years. This type of bond is often much deeper than a regular friend, as it's based on consistent interaction, mutual support, and understanding.

"Doukyuusei" is someone you can rely on, no matter the situation. They may be the person you turn to when you need a listening ear or who helps motivate you when times are tough.

Examples of sentences using Doukyuusei (同級生) include:

私たちは同級生であり、友達です.

(Watashitachi wa doukyuusei de ari, tomodachi desu.)

We are classmates and friends.

同級生と一緒に学校に行くのは楽しいです.

(Doukyuusei to issho ni gakkō ni iku no wa tanoshī desu)

Going to school with classmates is fun.

同級生と一緒に卒業するのは嬉しいです.

(Doukyuusei to issho ni sotsugyō suru no wa ureshī desu)

Graduating with classmates is happy.

"Meiyu" is the ally we all wish for in life. They are trustworthy and reliable, steadfastly supporting you no matter what. You can be confident that they have your best interest at heart and understand your perspective like no other.

With "Meiyu", you know that someone will advocate for you and guide you through whatever challenges come your way.

Examples of sentences using Meiyu (盟友) include:

私の盟友は私を支えてくれます.

(Watashi no meiyū wa watashi o sasaete kuremasu.)

My ally supports me.

私の盟友はいつも安心していられます

(Watashi no meiyū wa itsumo anshin shite iraremasu)

I can always rely on my ally.

私の盟友は私の思いを理解してくれます.

(Watashi no meiyū wa watashi no omoi o rikai shite kuremasu.)

My ally understands my thoughts.

Tsure ( 連れ)

The term "Tsure" is a powerful word, conveying a sense of companionship between two people beyond simple friendship. It's based on mutual trust and respect, where two people rely on each other for their actions and decisions.

This means they are always there for one another, no matter what, thus building a powerful bond between them.

In many cases, these two individuals can't be separated; they've formed an inseparable connection that shows itself in everyday life.

Examples of sentences using Tsure (連れ) include:

私の連れはいつも一緒にいられます.

(Watashi no tsure wa itsumo issho ni iraremasu.)

My companion is always with me.

私の連れは私を守ってくれます.

(Watashi no tsure wa watashi o mamotte kuremasu.)

My companion protects me.

私の連れは私の気持ちを理解してくれます.

(Watashi no tsure wa watashi no kimochi o rikai shite kuremasu)

My companion understands my feelings.

Badii (バディー)

"Badii" is a convenient way to refer to someone you're close with in Japanese. Pronounced "baddee," the word roughly translates to "buddy" or "pal."

It implies a much friendlier relationship than formal words like 友達 (tomodachi) or 同僚 (dōryō). It is most commonly used between friends, family members, teammates, or any other group where people share a strong bond.

This relationship is often quite warm and comfortable, with each person looking out for the other.

Examples of sentences using Badii (バディー) include:

私のバディーは最高の友達です.

(Watashi no badī wa saikō no tomodachi desu.)

My buddy is the best friend.

私のバディーはいつも僕を励ましてくれる.

(Watashi no badī wa itsumo boku o hagemashite kureru.

My buddy always encourages me.

バディーと一緒に過ごす時間は最高です. (Badī to issho ni sugosu jikan wa saikō desu.

Spending time with my buddy is the best.

Osananajimi (幼馴染)

"Osananajimi" is a special relationship often found in manga, anime, and other forms of Japanese media. Literally translated as "childhood friend," it refers to two people who have known each other since childhood and have a close bond.

Though often romantic in nature, this relationship is about far more than physical attraction. It's rooted in a deep understanding of one another and shared experiences and memories.

"Osananajimi" relationships are especially powerful because they often last for a very long time – sometimes even for life.

This is what makes them so special; the two people involved have been through thick and thin together, and this creates a powerful bond of loyalty, mutual understanding, and unconditional support.

Examples of sentences using Osananajimi (幼馴染) include:

私の幼なじみはいつも私のことをよく理解しています.

(Watashi no osananajimi wa itsumo watashi no koto o yoku rikai shite imasu.)

My childhood friend always understands me well.

幼馴染と一緒に過ごす時間は思い出に残ります.

(Osananajimi to issho ni sugosu jikan wa omoide ni nokorimasu.)

The time spent with my childhood friend remains in my memory.

幼馴染との再会は嬉しいです

(Osananajimi to no saikai wa ureshī desu.)

Reuniting with my childhood friend is joyful.

Shiriai (知り合い)

"Shiriai" is a term for someone you know in Japanese. The word is often translated as "acquaintance," but in reality, it can be used to refer to anyone you've met and have a relationship with.

This could be a colleague, classmate, neighbor, relative – even someone you just had a brief conversation with. What matters is that the two of you have shared some interaction and have a connection, however small it might be.

"Shiriai" relationships usually don't involve deep feelings or loyalty, but it's important to remember that they still carry value.

Examples of sentences using Shiriai (知り合い) include:

私の知り合いはいつも私を助けてくれます.

(Watashi no shiriai wa itsumo watashi o tasukete kuremasu.)

My acquaintance always helps me.

私の知り合いは有益な情報をくれます.

(Watashi no shiriai wa yūyoku na jōhō o kuremasu.)

My acquaintance gives me useful information.

私の知り合いは新しいアイデアをくれます.

(Watashi no shiriai wa atarashii aidea o kuremasu.)

My acquaintance gives me new ideas.

Final Thoughts

No matter whether you're talking about Badii (バディー), Osananajimi (幼馴染), or Shiriai (知り合い), all three of these relationships are important and can offer us valuable experiences. So don't forget: appreciate and cherish the relationships you have!

The bonds we share with others are powerful and can give us much-needed support, guidance, and inspiration. In the end, our relationships are a reflection of who we are – so make sure to nurture them and keep them strong!

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How to Say Friend in Japanese: 12 Natural Ways

Two young Asian boys, and one young Asian girl, all wearing Japanese high school student uniforms. The boy on the left is holding up a smartphone to take a selfie of them all together.

The generic word for friend in Japanese is 友人 ( yuujin ). Japanese people have many different ways to say the word friend . These words depend on how close the relationship is and with whom they are speaking. This article will discuss the words you can use to talk about your friend in Japanese.

Be aware that, unlike in other languages such as English, it isn’t common to refer directly to your friend with these words. They will typically be used to introduce them to other people .

Common Words for Friend in Japanese

Here are some general words for friend in Japanese. Be careful to note the level of politeness or intimacy in each!

1. 友達 ( Tomodachi ) – Friend

The word 友達 ( tomodachi ) means friend or friends. The suffix -達 ( dachi ) is technically the Japanese plural form , but you can use tomodachi to refer to either one friend or many. However, these days, tomodachi has become more of a word meaning “one friend” instead of many. It is still not wrong to refer to many friends as your tomodachi though. It is even possible to add another “たち” to the end to make it clear that you are talking about many friends, like this: 友達たち ( tomodachi-tachi ).

Also, it recommended by 教育出版 (Kyoiku Shuppan) – a famous company in Japan that publishes educational materials) to write the 達 ( tachi ) in hiragana like this: 友たち ( tomotachi ) if you want to make it clear you are talking about more than one friend.

友達 ( tomodachi ) = friend; friends
友たち ( tomotachi ) = friends

The word tomodachi is more casual than the previously mentioned yuujin. Tomodachi is not a slang word, but it also isn’t polite or honorific Japanese . However, you can use tomodachi in everyday conversations with people you don’t know (store workers, people you just meet, etc.).

You can combine tomodachi with other words to express the type of friends you have:

男友達 ( otoko-tomodachi ): male friend(s)
女友達 ( onna-tomodachi ): female friend(s)
飲み友達 ( nomi-tomodachi ): drinking friend(s)
遊び友達 ( asobi-tomodachi ): playmate(s)

You can also use 友達 to refer to anything that is your friend, even if they are not human (examples #3 and 4 below).

1. My friend Tom is coming over tonight. 今夜、友達のトムさんが遊びに来る。 ( Konya, tomodachi no Tom-san ga asobi ni kuru. )

2. I went to the mall with my friends yesterday. 昨日、友達と一緒にモールに行った。 ( Kinou, tomodachi to issho ni mooru ni itta. )

3. I became friends with a neighbor’s dog “Koro”. 僕は近所の犬のコロと友達になりました。 ( Boku wa kinjo no inu no Koro to tomodachi ni narimashita. )

4. Books are my friends. 本が私の友達です。 ( Hon ga watashi no tomodachi desu. )

2. 友人 (Yuujin) – Friend (Polite)

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, 友人 ( yuujin ) is the basic and polite way to say friend in Japanese. Translated, it means familiar/friendly person.

Yuujin is a “safe” way to say friend in Japanese because it’s polite—but not too polite. This means that you can use it with people in your inner circle and not come across as cold or aloof. However, it is more formal than tomodachi , which is why you would use 友人 ( yuujin ) when talking to your superiors (your boss, customers, etc.)

Unlike tomodachi , yuujin can only be used to refer to human friends.

I received this hat from a friend. この帽子は友人からもらいました。 ( Kono boushi wa yuujin kara moraimashita. )

3. 親友 (Shinyuu) – Best Friend

In Japanese, the word 親友 ( shinyuu ) is reserved for close friends or friends who you’ve known for a long time. It derives from the same kanji as the adjective 親しい ( shitashii ), or intimate. You can also refer to a close friend as 親しい友達 ( shitashii tomodachi ) or 親しい友人 ( shitashii yuujin ) for the same effect.

Shinyuu has the same nuance as the English phrase best friend. You can make this word even stronger by saying 大親友 ( daishinyuu ), or very best friend .

1. Taro has been my best friend since childhood. 太郎は子供の頃からの親友です。 ( Tarou wa kodomo no koro kara no shinyuu desu. )

2. I sent a card to my dear friend in the hospital. 入院した親しい友達にカードを送りました。 ( Nyuuin shita shitashii tomodachi ni kaado o okurimashita. )

4. 仲間 ( Nakama ) – Companion, Comrade

A danger of learning Japanese only through manga or anime is that you might find misleading translations for words like 仲間 ( nakama ). Many media platforms translate nakama into “ friend ” or even “ buddy .” In reality, the word has far less familiarity with its meaning.

In Japanese, nakama implies comradery, but not necessarily friendship. Your nakama could be a fellow player on your basketball team. They are your nakama whether you are close friends or not.

Of course, nakama does have a positive nuance. It would not be correct to refer to a teammate you dislike as nakama. However, it is a common mistake to refer to your bosom buddy or childhood friend as nakama. Use this word for friend with care.

Please let me join your team! 仲間に入れてください！ ( Nakama ni irete kudasai! )

5. 味方 ( Mikata ) – Ally, Partner, Comrade

The word 味方 ( mikata ) is also used often in Japanese media. It also suffers from some translation issues, probably because there is another word with the same pronunciation. 見方 ( mikata ) is also a common words, but notice that the kanji is different. This 見方 ( mikata ) means “viewpoint” or “the way you look at something.”

味方 ( mikata ) on the other hand means ally or partner in English. It is used to describe someone who shares the same group or circumstances that you do.

Like with nakama , you should avoid using the word mikata for people you don’t really like. It is still a far less endearing term than tomodachi or yuujin.

味方 ( mikata ) can also be used to talk about non-human things that are your friends or allies. (example #3 below)

1. Yoko took sides with me when the teacher got mad at me. 先生に怒られたとき、洋子さんは私の味方になってくれた。 ( Sensei ni okorareta toki, Youko-san wa watashi no mikata ni natte kureta. )

2. I thought you were my ally, but you betrayed me. 味方だと思ってたのに、裏切られた。 ( Mikata dato omotteta noni, uragirareta. )

3. I could hit a home run because the wind was on my side. 風が味方してくれたので、ホームランが打てた。 ( Kaze ga mikata shite kureta node hoomuran ga uteta. )

Situational Words for Friend

Some words for friend in Japanese can only be used in certain situations or professional relationships. Here are some situation-specific ways to say friend .

6. 相棒 ( Aibou ) – Partner

相棒 ( aibou ) is a not really a common word for friend in Japanese, but it is used by some people—so long as you and that friend share the same goal or purpose and works towards it together. In certain situations, aibou can even be used to speak about a friend who is also your business partner. Detectives in Japanese dramas may also call each other aibou . This word is a bit friendlier than nakama but is in the same subgenre of meaning.

If you can read the kanji, you may be a little confused. The kanji is comprised of 相 (ai, meaning mutual or each other) and 棒 (bou, meaning stick or rod). What does a stick have to do with being friends?

The origin of the word aibou comes from 2 people who carried a basket (called “ kago ”) that was used to transport a person back in the olden days of Japan (possibly from before the Edo era, but it is not certain). The pair of basket carriers (called “ kago no mono ”) called each other aibou . You can read more about it here in Japanese: The meaning of aibou (website in Japanese only).

My partner here is a well-known writer. うちの相棒はかなり有名な作家です。 ( Uchi no aibou wa kanari yuumei na sakka desu. )

7. 同僚 ( Douryou ) – Colleague, Associate

If you are friends with a colleague or a close associate, 同僚 ( douryou ) would be a suitable word to use. 同 ( dou ) means “ same ” in Japanese and is used in many other terms. Because douryou implies a similarity between you and your friend, you wouldn’t be able to use the word for a friend in a different workplace or career than yourself.

Today, my coworker and I went to a ramen shop for our lunch break. 今日の昼休みに、同僚と一緒にラーメン屋さんへ行った。 ( Kyou no hiruyasumi ni, douryou to issho ni raamen-ya san e itta. )

8. 同級生 ( Doukyuusei ) – Classmate, Peer

The word 同級生 ( doukyuusei ) is a way to say friend or peer in Japanese. It’s rooted in Japanese 先輩・後輩 ( senpai/kouhai ), or senior/junior culture. A doukyuusei is neither a senpai (senior) nor a kouhai (junior). They are someone who is right on level with you, either in age or in rank. Doukyuusei is most often used to refer to a friend who is also a classmate in the same grade.

John and I were classmates in elementary and middle school. ジョンさんとは小学校と中学校で同級生だった。 ( Jon-san towa shougakkou to chuugakkou de doukyuusei datta. )

Japanese Slang Words for Friend

Like any other language, Japanese has slang words. Here are a few popular slang terms for friend . Be sure not to use them with your boss or with your elders!

9. 友 ( Tomo ) – Friend (Casual)

You may recognize the kanji in the word 友 ( tomo ). It’s the same as the first character in tomodachi , and the meaning is the same. Removing the suffix (-dachi) and just saying “ tomo “ is a more casual way to say friend in Japanese.

However, this is only when you combine 友 ( tomo ) with other words. 友 ( tomo ) by itself is rarely used in daily conversations. It is mostly for written items like poems, songs, or song lyrics. Combining it with other words turns it into a common, conversational word. Some common ones are:

飲み友 (nomi-tomo): drinking buddy
メル友 (meru-tomo): E-pal

Good morning, friend! 友よ！おはよう！ ( Tomo yo! Ohayou! )

10. ダチ ( Dachi ) – Pal, Buddy, Bro

This is the same rule as with tomo but applied to the second half of tomodachi . Although it’s always written in katakana, ダチ ( dachi ) is the same 達 ( dachi ) in 友達 ( tomodachi ).

This is a very casual Japanese slang word. It’s an older term that might not be trendy in daily conversation but is sure to show up in TV dramas or anime. Dachi is also used between friends as a joke or an endearing tease. It is also masculine, so it is usually only used by men.

We’re pals, right? 俺たちはダチでしょう？ ( Oretachi wa dachi deshou? )

11. ツレ ( Tsure ) – Companion

ツレ ( tsure ) is a Japanese slang word for friend used during social events. It derives from the word 連れ ( tsure ), or to bring. The implication is that this friend is your “plus one”—it can be romantic or platonic and can be used between husbands and wives.

I came with my wife, Misaki. ツレは妻の美咲です。 ( Tsure wa tsuma no Misaki desu. )

12. バディー ( Badii ) – Buddy, Compatriot, Partner

As it is a loan word, バディー ( badii ) is a very casual way to say partner or friend in Japanese. It isn’t a mainstream slang word anymore, but you can still hear it in a classic detective movie or read it in a manga.

I swear, I’ll save my partner! 俺のバディーを絶対に助けに行く！ ( Ore no badii o zettai ni tasuke ni iku! )

There are various ways to say friend in Japanese, depending on your relationship with the friend or the company you find yourself in. If you’re in a pinch, the words yuujin and tomodachi are the most frequently used and are okay to use in most situations.

What are some ways to say friend in your language? Let us know in the comments! Thank you for reading this article on how to say friend in Japanese!

Erin Himeno

Japanese Writing Lab #1: Basic self-introduction

In a recent post I announced I would be starting a new program on my blog called “Japanese Writing Lab” that aims to motivate people to practice writing in Japanese, provides feedback on their writing, and allows them to see posts of other Japanese learners. This article represents the first writing assignment of that program.

For this assignment, I’d like to focus on a very common, but important topic: self-introduction, known as 自己紹介 (jiko shoukai) in Japanese.

Self-introductions can range widely from formal to casual, and from very short (name only) to much longer. This time, I’d like everyone to focus on writing a basic self-introduction whose main purpose is to actually introduce yourself to me and others in the group. So while it is a writing exercise, it actually serves an important purpose as well. Try to keep it brief (a few sentences is fine) and stick more to written language as opposed to spoken language. For example, you would avoid using things like “あの。。。” which you might say if you actually spoke a self-introduction.

For those who are comfortable writing a self-introduction in Japanese, you can go ahead and get started. If you have written one recently, I suggest you try to write one again from scratch without referring to it unless you really get stuck.

Once you finish this writing assignment please post it via one of the two following methods:

For those who have a blog (WordPress or anywhere else is fine): post it on your blog, and post a comment on this article including a link to your post. I also suggest adding a link on your post back to this article, so people who find your post can follow it to read other people’s submissions.
For those who don’t have a blog: simply post it as a comment to this article with the text you’ve written. [Note: creating a blog is pretty easy and free on many sites, so if you have a few minutes I’d just consider just trying to create a blog]

I’ll be reading through the submitted assignments and will try to make constructive comments. I highly recommend for everyone submitting to read other people’s submissions.

For those who are not too familiar with how to write self-introductions in Japanese, here is a general template to help you get started (taken from this Japanese website). If you want to do your own research on how to write a self-introduction, that is fine as well. Feel free to omit any of the below categories, for example if you don’t want to discuss where you live.

Keep in mind that for a self-introduction in Japanese, it is usually best to use at minimum basic polite language, like ~です and ~ます, since you aren’t likely to be on very familiar terms with those you are speaking to.

General template for basic self-introduction

僕（私) の名前は [your name here] です。

Place where you live (住所)

住所は[place where you live]というところです。

Hobbies (趣味)

趣味は [one or more of your hobbies]です。

仕事は「your current job」をしています。

Positive ending

[try to think of something positive to close with]

My submission

For each assignment I will give my submission as well, to help give you ideas. Feel free to send me questions or comments about my submission.

For this assignment I’ll keep things pretty simple and mostly follow the template I gave above, but in future assignments I’ll start using more advanced language and get more creative.

僕の名前はlocksleyuです。

住所はオレゴン州のポートランドですが、先週までは南フロリダに住んでいました。

趣味は色々ありますが、最近は日本の小説を読んだりチェスをやったりしています。

仕事はソフトウェア開発をしています。

このクラスで日本語の文章力を向上できたらいいと思います。

よろしくお願いします。

22 thoughts on “ Japanese Writing Lab #1: Basic self-introduction ”

Hi – I put together a WordPress site today so I could participate in this, and also to encourage me to write in Japanese.

Here’s my basic self introduction article: https://bokunojapanese.wordpress.com/2016/05/30/japanese-writing-lab-1-basic-self-introduction/

I tried once yesterday and once just now to post here and I am not seeing anything getting through. Are these comments moderated? Is there some other issue? I’m sick of retyping my introduction 🙁

The comments are moderated (that is the default setting of WordPress) but I check very often and approve pretty much all comments except for Spam. For some reason I didn’t see any of your comments from yesterday, only two from today.

I’ll read your other comment and respond now.

OK, this blog doesn’t seem to accept Japanese characters as comments (I just tried a third time).

I’m sorry that you are experiencing trouble. I’ll try to do my best help you out so we can get this solved (:

I have used Japanese before in comments. Let’s test now:

こんにちは [<- can you read this?] What happens when you try to write Japanese characters? Can you please make a post like this with some Japanese and some English so I can see what it looks like? Also, what browser/OS are you using? Can you try a variation of either? I am using Safari/Mac OS.

Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I’m reading that. The last three comments I have made that have included either all Japanese characters or a mix of Japanese and English have just…vanished. Like, I click “post” and the page refreshes but I don’t see my comment or even a “Your comment is pending” notification. I’m on Chrome on Mac OS, everything’s reasonably up to date.

Here’s a comment with English and hiragana only: こんにちは Thanks for helping me debug and sorry to be leaving so many comments on the blog ;_;

Here’s a comment with English, hiragana and kanji: こんいちは漢字は難しいですが、大切です。

Everything looks great now, I can see all the characters fine (: I’m guessing that was just some temporary issue with WordPress.

You can go ahead and try to put your self-introduction now. Just make a backup copy in case it gets deleted again.

You’re not going to believe this, but it STILL isn’t posting. I was avoiding making a new blog because I thought it would be “more work” but now I’m thinking that would be simpler after all.

Thats so weird, I wonder why. Maybe if you make a longer comment it doesn’t like it?

I agree it will probably be easier at this point to create your own blog, and that will have other benefits for you in the future.

But if you still want to try and troubleshoot the original issue I can help…

The good news is that WordPress makes it really easy to set up a new blog these days. I guess in retrospect I should have done that to begin with. Thanks for your help trying to debug this issue! https://nihongonoheya.wordpress.com/2016/06/02/first-blog-post/

Great, glad you were able to make a blog so easily! Will check out your blog later today when I get more time.

Hi, I have been reading several of your articles with great interest. The first that lead me to you was your comments on ‘Hibana’ by Naoki Matayoshi. A friend of mine in Japan is reading this book and I was curious about its content. Your translation is amazing. To introduce myself I set up a site, above link, however it doesn’t really seem to be a blog as such, so I may need to change that later. Anyway it’s accepted the script ok so you should be able to read it. I hope to join in here to improve my Japanese. Thanks for your time, Sylvia

Thanks very much for the comment and feedback!

Also, I’m glad you are interested in joining my program. I checked out your site, but like you said it seems like it isn’t exactly a blog, so I am not sure if I will be able to comment. Without that, it will be hard for me to correct your writings (I found a few errors I wanted to point out).

If it’s not too much trouble, would you mind trying to create a blog on WordPress.com? It should be pretty easy and it’s free.

Hi, Thank you for your reply. I think I’ve sorted it OK. See link below, I’ve never done a blog before so this is new to me! https://kafuka97.wordpress.com/

I just copied what I wrote before, no changes. Many thanks, Sylvia

PS: I do have a website which I have sent a link to.

Hello! My name is Jheanelle, I just found your website today and I think I’ve already looked through have of it. Its amazing. I’m interested in doing the assignments but I don’t have a blog so I’ll post it in the comments section.

ジェネルと言います。今日本に住んで仕事にしています。私は英語の先生です。色々な趣味があります。例えば、寝たり、韓国の番組を見たり、本を読んだりするのが好きです。日本語もっと上手になりたいそしてこのブログを見つけて嬉しくなった

どうぞよろしくお願いします

Hello Jheanelle. I’m sorry for the late reply but your message was showing up in Spam on my blog for some reason.

Thanks for the submission. Right now I am sort of taking a break from the writing labs since I didn’t get too much response from my readers, but I will consider restarting them again at some point. There is a few others however I posted (up to #3 or #4, I think).

I hope your Japanese studies are going well.

One minor comment, in your sentence “今日本に住んで仕事にしています” I think maybe you could have said: “今日本で仕事をしています” or “今日本に住んでで仕事もしています”

These might sound a little better.

One more thing, I recommend watching Japanese dramas instead of Korean if you want to improve faster (:

Hello locksleyu, I just posted my self-introduction here: https://soreymikleo1421.wordpress.com/2021/05/21/japanese-writing-lab-1-basic-self-introduction/ Thank you in advance!

Thanks! I just posted a few comments.

Essay on Japanese Friend

Students are often asked to write an essay on Japanese Friend in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Japanese Friend

Meeting a japanese friend.

When you meet a Japanese friend, you notice they are polite. They bow to show respect, and this is common in Japan. Friends often exchange small gifts too.

Spending Time Together

Japanese friends enjoy sharing their culture. They might invite you to try sushi or teach you origami, the art of paper folding. It’s fun to learn new things with them.

Communication

Even if your Japanese friend speaks English, they appreciate when you learn Japanese phrases. Saying “Arigato” means thank you, and it makes them happy.

Friendship Values

In Japan, friends value loyalty and helping each other. If you’re friends with someone from Japan, they’ll be a reliable and caring buddy.

250 Words Essay on Japanese Friend

Who is a japanese friend.

A Japanese friend is someone from Japan who you can share your thoughts and experiences with. They can be someone you meet at school, through a sports team, or even online. Friends from Japan can teach you about their culture, language, and traditions.

Respect in Friendship

Japanese friends often show a lot of respect to each other. They might bow when they greet you, which is a sign of politeness. They also value honesty and loyalty in friendships. If you make a friend from Japan, you might notice they are very careful about being on time and keeping promises.

Sharing Culture

With a Japanese friend, you can learn about exciting festivals like the cherry blossom viewing, known as Hanami, or the star festival called Tanabata. They might introduce you to sushi, anime, or traditional games like Kendama. In return, you can share your own customs and foods with them.

Language Exchange

If you’re interested in languages, having a Japanese friend is great for learning new words and phrases. They can help you practice speaking Japanese, and you can help them with English or your native language. It’s a fun way to learn while you chat about your daily lives.

Long-Distance Communication

Sometimes, your Japanese friend might live far away. You can still keep in touch through letters, emails, or video calls. Even if they are in another country, you can stay close by sharing stories and supporting each other.

In conclusion, a Japanese friend can bring new perspectives into your life. You get to enjoy learning about Japan, its language, and culture, while also building a friendship that respects each other’s differences and similarities.

500 Words Essay on Japanese Friend

Introduction to japanese friends.

When you hear the term “Japanese friend,” you might think of someone from the country of Japan. Japan is a place with beautiful cherry blossoms and a rich history. A Japanese friend can teach you about their culture, language, and traditions. Friendship is important in every part of the world, and having a friend from Japan can be a special experience.

You might meet a Japanese friend at school, in a club, or even while playing games online. When you first meet, you can start by sharing your names and favorite hobbies. Many Japanese people enjoy anime, manga, and video games. They also have traditional sports like sumo wrestling and martial arts. Sharing interests can be a great start to a friendship.

Understanding Japanese Culture

Japanese culture is full of interesting things to learn. For example, in Japan, people often bow to show respect instead of shaking hands. They also celebrate festivals like Tanabata, where they write wishes on paper and hang them on bamboo trees. If you have a Japanese friend, they might share stories about these traditions with you.

If your Japanese friend speaks Japanese, they might teach you some words and phrases. Learning a new language can be fun, and it’s a great way to understand each other better. You can teach them words from your language, too. This exchange can help both of you learn and grow.

Food and Cuisine

Japanese food is famous around the world. Sushi, ramen, and tempura are just a few examples of delicious Japanese dishes. A Japanese friend might introduce you to new foods you’ve never tried before. They could even show you how to use chopsticks properly!

Values and Manners

Japanese people are known for their good manners. They are often very polite and considerate of others. This can be a good influence on you as well. Being friends with someone from Japan might help you learn to be more respectful and kind to the people around you.

Technology and Innovation

Japan is a leader in technology and innovation. They make video games, robots, and all sorts of cool gadgets. A Japanese friend might be interested in these things and could share their knowledge with you. It’s exciting to learn about new inventions and how they are made.

Having a Japanese friend is a wonderful way to explore a different culture and make a new buddy. You can learn about their traditions, language, and food. You can also share your own culture with them. Friendships like these help us understand that even though we may live in different parts of the world, we have a lot in common. Friends are important, and a Japanese friend can bring a new perspective to your life.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Essay on Japanese Holiday
Essay on Jasmine Flower
Essay on Journey To Becoming A Teacher

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

友達のあやかさんです This is my friend, Ayaka-san.

To introduce someone to someone else, say a word to explain the relationship, followed by "no" and then the person's name and "desu."

To view other episodes, please click here.

Your Step-by-Step Jikoshoukai Guide Learn the basics, practice, and create an advanced Japanese self-introduction

October 11, 2016 • words written by Mami Suzuki and Michael Richey • Art by Aya Francisco

Viewing under The Tofugu JET Program Guide

When you start learning Japanese or are visiting Japan for the first time , there are few words to learn right away:

Once you've mastered those three, you need to learn your jikoshoukai.

Jikoshoukai 自己紹介（じこしょうかい） is the Japanese word for "self-introduction." In theory, this is similar to how you would introduce yourself in your own culture. Say hello, say your name, tell a little about yourself. But in practice, there are cultural differences and set procedures you should stick to. You only get one first impression, so it's important to learn how to do it right.

We'll start by teaching you the basic Japanese self-introduction, then cultural subtleties, and finally a ton of extra grammar and vocabulary you can use to talk about yourself with your new Japanese friends.

Jikoshoukai Vocabulary

Writing your jikoshoukai, 1. first name and family name, 2. occupation, 3. don't talk about yourself too much, 4. bowing vs. handshake, 5. holding your hands behind your back, 6. don't bow while talking, business cards, "nice to meet you", "please be kind to me", where you are from, your school, where you live, hobbies and proficiencies, plans for the future, only the beginning, how to jikoshoukai.

Going to Japan, but don't know Japanese? Don't worry. You can jikoshoukai. The Japanese self-intro has a standard order and set phrases, so even beginners can meet and greet in Japanese.

How do you do?

The set phrase hajimemashite 初めまして（はじ　　　　） either comes from the verb hajimeru 始める（はじ　　） , which means "to start," or it's a shortened form of 初めて（はじ　　）お目（め）にかかりまして. Though etymologists aren't sure of the word's true origin, hajimemashite implies beginning or doing something for the first time . Most people think of it as saying "How do you do?" or "Nice to meet you."

私（わたし）は [name] と申します（もう　　　）。
My name is [name].

The breakdown of this sentence is easier than it looks. It has three parts:

私（わたし）は - The first word 私 means "I" or "me." It's followed by the particle は which indicates the topic of the sentence. In this case, 私 is the topic.
[name] - Your name.
と申します（もう　　　） - One meaning of the verb 申す is "to be called." It's paired with the particle と and conjugated to 申します。 This is a polite phrase, so it's safe to use in almost any situation.

When you put them all together, you get something along the lines of "I am called [name]" or "My name is [name]."

よろしくお願い（ねが　）します。
Please be kind to me.

The final piece of the puzzle is よろしくお願い（ねが　）します. It doesn't translate well to English, which is why we wrote a whole article about it . In a self-intro situation, it means something like "Please be kind to me." It's often translated as "Nice to meet you." This isn't technically correct, though it carries a similar feeling.

Now that you've got the basic building blocks down, it's time to put it together. At its simplest, the jikoshoukai sequence is:

はじめまして。私（わたし）は (name) と申（もう）します。よろしくお願（ねが）いします。
How do you do? My name is (name). Please be kind to me.

See? Not so hard. When you're getting ready to meet Japanese people for the first time, write this out and practice until it flows. If you're a beginner at Japanese , you don't need any more than this.

Jikoshoukai Etiquette

It's great to know the words to say when introducing yourself in Japanese, but how you say those words will make or break your jikoshoukai.

There are cultural differences to be aware of. They're subtle, so if you miss them it probably won't be counted against you. But paying attention to details like these can give you an extra social edge when you first meet a new Japanese friend.

In English, people usually introduce themselves by their first names or full names. When you give your full name, the first name comes first and the family name afterward.

In Japanese, people usually introduce themselves by their family names or full names. When they introduce their full name, the family name comes first and the first name comes second.

Revealing one or two of your strengths is fine, but listing all your amazing abilities will annoy others and make you seem over-confident.

In English, when you asked what you do for work, you give a brief summary of your job, or the name of your profession.

In Japan, it's common to answer only, " 会社員（かいしゃいん）です。" (I'm an office worker./I work for a company./I'm a salaryman.)

However, if you introduce yourself to someone in a business setting, mention your company in your self-intro. For example:

Tofuguのコウイチと申します（もう　　　）。
I'm Koichi from Tofugu.

This concept goes along with our next point…

Japanese people sometimes say lightly self-deprecating things as a form of humility, but it's usually followed by something positive (or the positivity is implied). For example:

至らない点が多いかもしれませんが、頑張りますので、よろしくお願い（ねが　）します
I might have many flaws, but I'll do my best so please be kind to me.

You don't have to say anything like this (in fact, we advise you don't), but the point is this: Japanese people usually keep their strengths on the down-low.

So try not to show off too much. Revealing one or two of your strengths is fine, but listing all your amazing abilities will annoy others and make you seem over-confident.

In the West, if you're meeting someone one-on-one, you shake hands.

In Japan, don't move in for the handshake, especially if your status is the same or lower than the person you're meeting. In Japan, handshakes are for equals, so if you try to shake hands with the Emperor, it would be considered rude. Bow instead, and do so at the beginning and end of your jikoshoukai.

In Japan, holding your hands behind your back signals importance, so it may make you look full of yourself. Put your hands in front of you (the left hand on top of the right), or put your hands beside you.

This is a no-no from our Japanese bowing guide . Do your bowing after giving your self-introduction. Make sure to finish saying "yoroshiku onegaishimasu" and then bow.

Business cards in Japan are called meishi 名刺（めいし） , and are an important part of Japanese culture. Even outside of the business world, Japanese people sometimes have personal meishi made (meishi means "name card" after all).

We covered meishi etiquette in our article about Japanese work customs , but here are the rules again in a jikoshoukai context.

Orient your card toward the recipient. Give and receive meishi with two hands.

Put meishi in a carrying case: You can buy business card carrying cases online or at any department store in Japan. If you don't have a case, you can carefully put the meishi in your purse or wallet after you've received it. Just don't put it in your pocket.

Use two hands: Orient your card toward the recipient when presenting. Hold the top edge with both hands. When they offer their card, accept it with two hands. Try not to cover any words with your fingers either. Some Japanese people are taught that a meishi is the "face" of the person giving it, so you don't want to cover theirs or your own.

When you and your new friend offer each other meishi at the same time: Present your card with your right hand, while simultaneously receiving theirs with your left.

Read meishi you receive: Read the person's name and title on the card before you put it away. Make sure to show interest in what they do. Act at least a little bit impressed with their job title.

When exchanging meishi in a group, give to the most senior person first: Start by giving your business card to the shachou, then fukushachou, and so on down the chain of command .

Treat meishi with respect: Use common sense and treat meishi like you would a gift. Don't toss or write on them.

Expanding the Basic Jikoshoukai

video game level up screen showing jikoshoukai advancement

Maybe you've been doing your Japanese self-intro for years, repeating the same three set phrases over and over. Maybe you've read this guide before and have the basics down pat. You're ready to level up!

Below are example sentences you can mix into your standard jikoshoukai to give it more flavor, and make your self-intro a memorable one.

Earlier we learned how to use はじめまして (nice to meet you, how do you do). Here's a few ways to add to this set phrase.

こんにちは。はじめまして。
Hello. Nice to meet you.
みなさん、はじめまして。
Nice to meet you, everyone.
みなさん、こんにちは。はじめまして。
Hello everyone. Nice to meet you.

For a formal situation, you should say both your first and last names. In a casual situation, it's common to say only your family name for Japanese people.

If you're an English teacher on something like the JET Program , your school might want you to give your first name when you introduce yourself to the students. Ask your supervisor what's appropriate for the situation.

Below are several ways to introduce your name, organized by politeness in ascending order.

私（わたし）の名前（なまえ）はマイケルですが、みんなにはマイクって呼ばれて（よ　　　）います。
My name is Michael, but most people call me Mike.
I'm Michael.

Very Formal:

マイケルと申します（もう　　　）。

Very Formal/Business:

Tofuguのマイケルと申します（もう　　　）。
I'm Michael from Tofugu.

When you end your jikoshoukai, you'll use a phrase that means "Please be kind to me" or "Remember me favorably." But once you've got a handle on the standard " yoroshiku onegaishimasu ," you can move on to more casual or more formal variations. Below we've organized them by politeness level in ascending order.

Polite/Business:

どうぞ、よろしくお願い（ねが　）します。
よろしくお願い（ねが　）致します（いた　　　）。

Very Polite/Business:

どうぞ、よろしくお願い（ねが　）致します（いた　　　）。

Formal/Business:

よろしくお願い（ねが　）申し上げます（もう　あ　　　）。
どうぞ、よろしくお願い（ねが　）申し上げます（もう　あ　　　）。

Custom Jikoshoukai Modification

From here we get into the fun stuff. After expanding on the initial three pieces of the Japanese self-introduction, you can start adding information about yourself, short sentences that explain where you're from, what you like to do, and so on.

These jikoshoukai modifications will help people get to know you faster when you first introduce yourself. This is especially important as you start to make more Japanese friends, go on dates, or have job interviews.

Telling where you're from is always a good addition to a self-intro. Even if you don't use it during the initial jikoshoukai, your new Japanese friend will probably ask you anyway, so memorizing a few of these phrases is extra useful.

Two quick vocabulary usage notes: First, the word shusshin 出身（しゅっしん） mean's "person's origin," and refers more to the place you were born or grew up than where you currently live. It's often used for specific places like a city, state, or prefecture, rather than a country. For example, Mami was born in Osaka, and now lives in Canada. But she spent most of her life in Nara, so she says " 奈良県（ならけん）の出身（しゅっしん）です。" or " 出身（しゅっしん）は奈良県（ならけん）です。"

Second, the verb mairu 参る（まいる） is a more humble form of kuru 来る（く　） or iku 行く（い　） . So when 参る（まい　） is used to talk about where you came from in "アメリカから参りました（まい　　　） ," it's much more humble, so use it in appropriate situations.

アメリカの出身（しゅっしん）です。
I'm from America.
アメリカから来ました（き　　　）。
アメリカから参りました（まい　　　　）。
オレゴン州（しゅう）のポートランドから来ました（き　　　）。生まれ（う　　）も育ち（そだ　）もポートランドです。
I'm from Portland, Oregon. Born and raised.
生まれ（う　　）は大阪（おおさか）ですが、育ち（そだ　）は東京（とうきょう）です。
I was born in Osaka, but grew up in Tokyo.
育ち（そだ　）はニューヨークです。
I grew up in New York.
田舎（いなか）で育ちました（そだ　　　　）。
I grew up in the countryside.
生まれ（う　　）は東京（とうきょう）ですが、十歳（じゅうさい）の時（とき）に大阪（おおさか）に引っ越しました（ひ　こ　　　　）。そして、大学（だいがく）に入る（はい　）時（とき）に、名古屋（なごや）に引っ越して（ひ　こ　　）来ました（き　　　）。
I was born in Tokyo, but moved to Osaka when I was ten, and lived there until I entered university, which is when I came to Nagoya.
小さい（ちい　　）時（とき）、家族（かぞく）が何度も（なんど　）引っ越した（ひ　こ　　）ので、私（わたし）には育った（そだ　　）場所（ばしょ）というのはないんです。
My family moved a lot when I was little, so I'm not really from anywhere.

School, from elementary up through university , is a big part of Japanese life. Be prepared to have people ask alma mater and what you studied. Or cut them off at the pass by including the information in your jikoshoukai.

Ⓐ 大学（だいがく） Ⓑ 学部（がくぶ） Ⓒ 科（か）の出身（しゅっしん）です。
I graduated from the Ⓒ department of the faculty of Ⓑ of Ⓐ University.
Ⓐ 大学（だいがく） Ⓑ 学部（がくぶ） Ⓒ 科（か）の学生（がくせい）です。
I'm a student of the Ⓒ department of the faculty of Ⓑ of Ⓐ University.
Ⓐ 大学（だいがく） Ⓑ 学部（がくぶ） Ⓒ 科（か）の二年生（にねんせい）です。
I'm a second year student of the Ⓒ department of the faculty of Ⓑ of Ⓐ University.
オレゴン大学（だいがく）で、二年間（にねんかん）東（ひがし）アジアの歴史（れきし）を専攻（せんこう）していました。
I studied East Asian history at Oregon university for two years.

Occupation is a common conversation topic when meeting someone new. If you're doing business in Japan (or want to), you'd better learn at least one of these phrases.

A quick grammar usage note: some of these jikoshoukai example sentences use the continuous state conjugation of suru する（） which is shiteimasu しています（） . If you want to get extra polite with any of these sentences, swap out しています with shiteorimasu しております（） . One easy switch and you're ready to tell CEOs and presidents about your work situation.

Tofuguで編集長（へんしゅうちょう）をしています。
I'm the chief editor of Tofugu.
トヨタで営業（えいぎょう）を担当（たんとう）しています。
I'm working in sales at Toyota.
会計課（かいけいか）に配属（はいぞく）になりました、佐藤（さとう）です。
I'm Satou , assigned to the accounts department.
私（わたし）は会社員（かいしゃいん）です。
I'm an office worker.
私（わたし）は英語（えいご）の教師（きょうし）です。
I'm an English teacher.
私（わたし）は英語（えいご）を教えています（おし　　　　　）。
I teach English.
私（わたし）はこの学校（がっこう）で英語（えいご）を教えます（おし　　　）。
I'm going to teach English at this school.
私（わたし）は東（ひがし）フグ小学校（しょうがっこう）で働いて（はたら　　）います。
I'm working at East Fugu Elementary School.
私（わたし）は東（ひがし）フグ小学校（しょうがっこう）に勤めて（つと　　）います。
I'm working for East Fugu Elementary School.

"You live around here?" is a common question no matter the culture. Be ready to answer questions about your living situation with these sentences.

東京（とうきょう）に住んで（す　　）います。
I live in Tokyo.
東京（とうきょう）駅（えき）の近く（ちか　）に住んで（す　　）います。
I live near Tokyo station.
東京（とうきょう）駅（えき）の近く（ちか　）のマンションに住んで（す　　）います。
I live in an apartment near Tokyo station.

Hobbies are super important part of life in Japan. Japanese junior high and high school students take school club activities seriously ( sometimes more than academics ) and this passion often continues into adult life. If you have a hobby, that is your "thing." Even if you don't think of your interests as "hobbies," describe them as such anyway. It will help people understand you better . Alternatively, you can say what you like and don't like.

趣味（しゅみ）は[____]です。
My hobby is [____].
趣味（しゅみ）は[____]することです。
My hobby is to do [____]
[____]が趣味（しゅみ）です。
[____]することが趣味（しゅみ）です。
私（わたし）は[____]が好き（す　）です。
I like [____]
[____]も好き（す　）です。
I also like [____]
[____]は好き（す　）ではありません。
I don't like [____]
私（わたし）は[____]することが好き（す　）です。
I like to do [____]
私（わたし）は[____]が得意（とくい）です。
I'm good at [____].
私（わたし）は[____]することが得意（とくい）です。
I'm good at doing [____].
私（わたし）は[____]が苦手（にがて）です。
I'm not good at/I don't like [____](noun)
私（わたし）は[____]することが苦手（にがて）です。
I'm not good at doing [____].

What do you want to be when you grow up? What new skills are you trying to develop? What are you going to eat for lunch tomorrow? Answer these questions and more with the example sentences below.

Grammar usage note: the noun tsumori つもり（） is used to tell what you plan to do. It's most commonly used in situations where you've already made up your mind. It's definite. Don't use it for instances where you're kind of maybe thinking about something, but you're not sure yet.

[____]ようと考えて（かんが　　）います。
I'm thinking about doing [____].
[____]したいと思って（おも　　）います。
I'd like to do [____].
[____]つもりです。
私（わたし）の目標（もくひょう）は[____]です。
My object is [____].
[____]に挑戦（ちょうせん）したいと思って（おも　　）います。
I'd like to challenge [____].

Now you know what it takes to put together a stellar jikoshoukai in Japanese. Put the pieces together, mind the cultural differences, and practice till its second nature.

With a solid self-intro on your side, you're poised to start your relationships right. Just don't forget your business cards.

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About This Page

This page introduces the variety of essays written by popular contemporary authors. Unless noted, all are in Japanese.

The author, さくらももこ, is known for writing a comic titled 『ちびまる子ちゃん』. The comic is based on her own childhood experiences and depicts the everyday life of a girl with a nickname of Chibi Maruko-chan. The author has been constantly writing casual and humorous essays, often recollecting her childhood memories. We have both the『ちびまる子ちゃん』 comic series and other essays by the author.

To see a sample text in a new tab, please click on the cover image or the title .

中島らも(1952-2004) started his career as a copyrigher but changed his path to become a prolific writer, publishing novels, essays, drama scripts and rakugo stories. He became popular with his "twisted sense of humour." He is also active in the music industry when he formed his own band. He received the 13th Eiji Yoshikawa New Author Prize with his 『今夜、すべてのバーで』 and Mystery Writers of Japan Aaward with 『ガダラの豚』.

東海林（しょうじ）さだお

東海林さだお(1937-) is a well-known cartoonist, but he is also famous for his essays on food. His writing style is light and humorous and tends to pay particular attention toward regular food, such as bananas, miso soup, and eggd in udon noodles, rather than talk about gourmet meals. (added 5/2/2014)

Collection of Essays: 天声人語 = Vox Populi, Vox Deli (Bilingual)

A collection of essays which appear on the front page of Asahi Shinbun . Each essay is approx. 600 words. KU has collections published around 2000. Seach KU Online catalog with call number AC145 .T46 for more details.

To see a sample text, please click on the cover image or the title .

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Online Essay

村上さんのところ "Mr. Murakami's Place" -- Haruki Murakami's Advice Column Part of Haruki Murakami's official site. He answers questions sent to this site. He will also take questions in English. Questions will be accepted until Jan. 31, 2015.

Search from KU Collection

If you are looking for essays in Japanese available at KU, use this search box. If you know the author, search by last name, then first name, such as "Sakura, Momoko." Make sure to select "Author" in the search field option.:

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How to Talk About Your Interests and Hobbies in Japanese

If you’re interested in learning Japanese, you probably want to be able to have conversations about your hobbies and interests with native speakers to make friends . For example, you might consider yourself an “otaku”. This refers to people who are obsessed with anime, manga, and other aspects of Japanese pop culture. It’s not uncommon to see entire stores dedicated to anime merchandise or cosplay events where people dress up as their favorite characters.

Besides that, Japan is also known for its traditional arts and crafts, like bonsai, origami, ikebana, and traditional tea ceremonies. So whether you’re interested in exploring the world of otaku culture or just love to jog, there are a few key phrases and vocabulary words you’ll need to know in order to express yourself effectively. Here are some tips on how to talk about your hobbies and interests in Japanese!

Essential Vocabulary for Hobbies and Interests

Now that we have a basic understanding of Japanese conversation , let’s dive into vocabulary and phrases specifically related to hobbies and interests. Whether you’re a sports enthusiast, an artist, or just enjoy spending time outdoors, there is a lot of Japanese vocabulary to help you express your interests and passions.

Head here to view 25 infographics on common hobbies and interest vocabulary in Japanese!

Common Hobbies in Japanese

Japan offers a wide variety of hobbies that cater to all interests. Here are some of the most common hobbies in Japan:

Whether you’re a fan of extreme sports or prefer a more leisurely pace, Japan has something for everyone.

Sports and Physical Activities

Japan offers a variety of outdoor activities that are perfect for those who enjoy staying active. From hiking in the mountains to swimming in the ocean in Kamakura or Okinawa, there’s no shortage of opportunities to get your heart pumping. If you’re into sports and physical activities, here are some essential vocabulary words:

Artistic and Creative Pursuits

Japan has a rich artistic heritage, and its language reflects this. Whether you’re a painter, musician, or writer, you’ll find plenty of vocabulary to help you express yourself. For those who enjoy artistic and creative hobbies, here are some vocabulary words to know:

Indoor and Outdoor Activities

Lastly, here are some vocabulary words for a variety of indoor and outdoor activities:

Cooking – 料理する (ryouri suru)
Gardening – ガーデニング (gaadeningu)
Video games – ゲームをする (geemu wo suru)
Movies – 映画 (eiga)

Head here to download a free kanji practice worksheet for your hobby!

Forming Sentences to Describe Your Interests and Hobbies in Japanese

With all this vocabulary under your belt, it’s time to start putting together sentences to talk about your interests! Talking about your hobbies and interests is a great way to connect with others and share your passions.

To introduce your hobbies and interests in Japanese, you can use the following phrases:

私は＿＿＿が好きです。 Watashi wa ___ ga suki desu. I like ___.

私は＿＿＿に興味があります。 Watashi wa ___ ni kyoumi ga arimasu. I am interested in ___.

Please keep in mind that in order to use the sentence structure provided above, it’s necessary to use a noun. If you want to express an action or verb, you should add の or こと after the verb to turn it into a noun. For example:

私は映画を見るのが好きです。 Watashi wa eiga o miru no ga suki desu. I like watching movies.

If it’s obvious who the subject is, you can omit it in the sentence. In this case, you can just say, “ Eiga o miru koto ga suki desu .”

When you are talking about another person, you can also use the same Japanese sentence structure.

彼女は絵を描くのが好きです. Kanojo wa e o kaku no ga suki desu.

It’s also helpful to be able to express how often you do a certain hobby, or for how long. Here are some examples:

週に2回サッカーをします. shuu ni nikai sakkaa o shimasu I play soccer twice a week.

彼女はギターを始めて5年です。 kanojo wa gitaa o hajimete go nen desu. She has been playing the guitar for five years

金曜日の夜は映画を見ます kinyoubi no yoru wa eiga wo mimasu We watch movies every Friday night

If you’re particularly skilled or experienced in a certain hobby, you might want to be able to talk about that as well. Here are some phrases to help:

子供の頃から野球をやっています. kodomo no koro kara yakyuu wo yatte imasu. I’ve been playing baseball since I was a kid.

彼女は去年絵画コンクールで優勝しました kanojo wa kyonen kaiga konkuru de yuushou shimashita She won a painting competition last year

Describing Your Interests and Hobbies in Japanese

To describe your hobbies and interests in more detail, you can use adjectives and adverbs. Here are some examples:

楽しい (Tanoshii) – fun
面白い (Omoshiroi) – interesting
難しい (Muzukashii) – difficult
簡単な (Kantan na) – easy
時間がかかる (Jikan ga kakaru) – time-consuming
お金がかかる (Okane ga kakaru) – expensive

For example, if you want to describe that playing soccer is fun, you can say:

サッカーをするのは楽しいです。 Sakkaa o suru no wa tanoshii desu. Playing soccer is fun.

Asking About Others’ Interests and Hobbies in Japanese

Of course, conversations are a two-way street. Here are some helpful phrases for asking about others’ hobbies and interests:

How do Ask “What is Your Hobby?” in Japanese

The most basic way to ask about someone’s hobby is:

あなたの趣味は何ですか？ Anata no shumi wa nan desuka?

This phrase is a great icebreaker and can lead to some interesting conversations. You never know what kind of hobbies people might have!

Inquiring About Specific Interests

If you want to ask about a specific hobby, you can use phrases like:

スポーツが好きですか? Supootsu ga suki desuka? Do you like playing sports?

最近、どこか面白いところに旅行しましたか？ Saikin dokoka omoshiroi tokoro ni ryokou shimashitaka? Have you traveled anywhere interesting recently?

どんな映画が好きですか？ Donna eiga ga suki desuka? What kind of movies do you like?

Asking about specific interests can show that you’re genuinely interested in getting to know the person. It can also give you some insight into their personality and what they enjoy doing in their free time.

Responding to Others’ Hobbies and Interests

When someone asks about your hobbies and interests, it’s polite to reciprocate by asking about theirs in return. Here are some phrases to use:

あなたは？趣味はありますか？ Anata wa? Shuumi wa arimasu ka? What about you? Do you have any hobbies?

One thing to note is that it’s better to use the person’s name and attach a suffix like san, kun, or chan , instead of using あなた. If you use “anata” with someone who you know, it can sound rude and disrespectful. For example, if your friend’s name is Tanaka (田中), you can say:

田中さんは? Tanaka-san wa? What about you, Tanaka?

When you respond to someone’s question about your hobbies and interests, be sure to give them some details. This can help keep the conversation going and make it more interesting for both of you. Here’s an example of a conversation between two friends who are talking about hobbies in Japanese:

友達１：最近、何か趣味とかある？ Tomodachi 1: Saikin, nanika shumi toka aru? Friend 1: Do you have any hobbies or interests lately?

友達２：ああ、特にないけど、昔からゲームが好きだよ。 Tomodachi 2: Aa, tokuni nai kedo, mukashi kara geemu ga suki da yo. Friend 2: Not particularly, but I’ve always liked playing video games.

友達１：私もゲームが好き！最近はどんなゲームをしてる？ Tomodachi 1: Watashi mo geemu ga suki! Saikin wa donna geemu wo shiteru? Friend 1: I also like video games! What kind of games have you been playing lately?

友達２：ああ、最近はファイナルファンタジー７リメイクをしているんだ。すごく面白いよ。 Tomodachi 2: Aa, saikin wa Fainaru Fantajī 7 Rimeiku wo shite irun da. Sugoku omoshiroi yo. Friend 2: Oh, lately I’ve been playing the Final Fantasy 7 remake. It’s really interesting.

友達１：私もそのゲームをやってみたいなあ。最近は、ジョギングをすることも多いんだ。身体を鍛えるためにね。 Tomodachi 1: Watashi mo sono geemu wo yatte mitai naa. Saikin wa, jogingu wo suru koto mo ooi nda. Karada wo kitaeru tame ni ne. Friend 1: I want to try that game too. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of jogging. To keep my body in shape.

友達２：ジョギングいいね。私もフットサルをしているよ。週に２回ぐらい。 Tomodachi 2: Jogingu ii ne. Watashi mo futtosaru wo shite iru yo. Shuu ni nikai gurai. Friend 2: Jogging sounds great. I also play futsal twice a week.

友達１：フットサル！面白そうだね。私もやってみたいなあ。 Tomodachi 1: Futtsaru! Omoshirosou da ne. Watashi mo yatte mitai naa. Friend 1: Futsal! That sounds interesting. I want to try it too.

友達２：ぜひ一緒にやりましょう！ Tomodachi 2: Zehi issho ni yarimashou! Friend 2: Let’s do it together sometime!

With these phrases and vocabulary words in your arsenal, you should feel much more confident talking about your hobbies and interests in Japanese. Good luck!

Want to master Japanese? Start taking Japanese lessons with us!

How do ask "what is your hobby" in japanese, how do i say "hobby" in japanese.

“Hobby” in Japanese is 趣味 (shumi).

How do I talk about my hobbies in Japanese?

You can start by saying “Watashi no shumi wa _____ desu” and fill in the blank with your hobby. For example, “Watashi no shumi wa supootsu desu” means “My hobby is sports.”

Test your Japanese level!

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14 Ways to Say Friend in Japanese: From BFFs to Business Associates

With more than 120 million Japanese speakers on the planet, it would be surprising if you didn’t know one or two of them.

Inevitably, you’re going to need to describe your relationships with these friends and acquaintances.

There are actually several words in Japanese that express friendship, but most should be used with great care because they’re only used in very specific situations.

Below, I’ll teach you 14 ways to say friend in Japanese and explain exactly how to use them!

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1. 友達 (ともだち) — Friend

2. 友人 (ゆうじん) — friend (formal), 3. 親友 (しんゆう) — close friend, 4. 仲良し (なかよし) — close friend , 5. 大親友 (だいしんゆう) — very best friend, 6. ダチ (だち) — buddy, bro (very informal slang, outdated), 7. バディ (ばでぃ) — buddy, friend, 8. 連れ (つれ) or ツレ — friend (informal, slang).

9. 幼馴染み (おさななじみ) — Childhood friend

10. 相棒 (あいぼう) — Partner, friend, associate

11. 味方 (みかた) — ally, supporter, 12. 仲間 (なかま) — colleague, fellow, comrade, 13. 同僚 (どうりょう) — co-worker, colleague, 14. 盟友 (めいゆう) — business colleague or co-worker, political ally, and one more thing....

This is the most recognizable word for “friend” that students of Japanese come across, and with good reason. It’s the most analogous in usage to the English word and has the broadest use.

You’ll see the word in movie titles ( きみの友だち — “Your Friend”), book titles ( 彼はトモダチ — “He Is a Friend”) and popular songs ( ともだち — “Friend”) as well.

アキラは私の友達です。 (あきらはわたしのともだちです。) — Akira is my friend.

私の友達は赤いジャケットを着ています。 (わたしのともだちはあかいじゃけっとをきています。) — My friend wears a red jacket.

私の友達は政府機関に逮捕されました。 (わたしのともだちはせいふきかんにたいほされました。) — My friend has been arrested by agents of the government.

友達 should also be considered a casual word—polite, but not appropriate for very formal conversation.

You can get even more specific with 友達:

飲み友達 (のみともだち) — drinking buddy
学校の友達 (がっこうのともだち) — school friend
外国人の友達 (がいこくじんのともだち) — foreign friend
仕事の友達 (しごとのともだち) — work friend
旅行の友達 (りょこうのともだち) — travel friend
オンラインの友達 (おんらいんのともだち) — online friend
SNSの友達 (SNSのともだち) — social media friend

You might see 友人 (ゆうじん) used in older Japanese language textbooks that rely on a more formal version of spoken Japanese. If a lot of your Japanese practice comes from manga or anime , you’re a little less likely to see this usage outside of very specific scenes.

私の友人は向こうにいます。 (わたしのゆうじんはむこうにいます。) — My friend is over there.

月に住んでいる友人がいます。 (つきにすんでいるゆうじんがいます。) — I have a friend who lives on the moon.

私の友人は月の皇帝です。 (わたしのゆうじんはつきのこうていです。) — My friend is the Emperor of the Moon.

This also refers to someone who’s a close friend. As with 親しい (したしい), 親友 (しんゆう) is reserved for very close friends, and the same rules apply when using it.

彼女の親友は猫です。 (かのじょのしんゆうはねこです。) — Her best friend is a cat.

私の親友の猫は私を好きではありません。 (わたしのしんゆうのねこはわたしをすきではありません。) — My close friend’s cat doesn’t like me.

私の親友は誰も猫を飼っていません。 (わたしのしんゆうはだれもねこをかっていません。) — None of my close friends have cats.

Similar to the two previous words, 仲良し also means close friend or “chum,” but has a lighter meaning and is used less formally.

If someone is your 仲良し, it means you’re very comfortable with them. You like hanging out together, have common interests and share a strong connection. You click—and you can even use it to describe a group of friends.

私たちは一緒に旅行を楽しむ仲良しのグループです。 (わたしたちはいっしょにりょこうをたのしむなかよしのグループです。) — We are a close-knit group of friends who enjoy traveling together.

彼らは幼い頃から仲良しです。 (かれらはおさないころからなかよしです。) — He and I have been close friends since childhood.

彼らは仲良しの友達で、いつも一緒に過ごしています。 (かれらはなかよしのともだちで、いつもいっしょにすごしています。) — They are good friends and always spend time together.

Many students will recognize that the addition of 大 (だい) to the beginning of 親友 (しんゆう) indicates that 大親友 (だいしんゆう) refers to a very best friend.

私の大親友は魔法の豆を買った。 (わたしのだいしんゆうはまほうのまめをかった。) — My best friend bought some magic beans.

巨大な植物が私の大親友を雲に連れて行ってくれた。 (きょだいなしょくぶつがわたしのだいしんゆうをくもにつれていってくれた。) — A giant plant carried my very best friend up to the clouds.

私の大親友は空の上に立派な城を見つけました。 (わたしのだいしんゆうはそらのうえにりっぱなしろをみつけました。) — My best friend discovered a magnificent castle up in the sky.

While a dated phrase, you may run across ダチ (だち) in an older manga or anime series. It’s slang that’s used mostly by young people and is considered very informal speech . As such, it should be used with care. These days, it probably shouldn’t be used at all unless you’re absolutely confident that you’re using it in the correct context.

Its inclusion in this post is more for you to be able to recognize it when it appears in reading or viewing material.

俺のダチはレースカーが好きだ。 (おれのだちはれーすかーがすきだ。 ) — My friends like race cars.

ダチの車が衝突した！ (だちのくるまがしょうとつした！) — My friend’s car has crashed!

ダチが燃えてる！助けてくれ！ (だちがもえてる！たすけてくれ！) — My friends are on fire! Help!

Note that when referring to a close friend, you’d say マブダチ (まぶだち) — best buddy/bro (very informal). Again, care should be used, as it’s an outdated phrase and highly informal.

I’d even go so far as to say that you should never use ダチ or マブダチ in a conversation, but at least now you can recognize them when you come across them.

As you can tell just from the sound, バディ is a loanword that comes from the English word “buddy.” It’s not super common and is only used in casual settings, usually by younger people.

一緒にアウトドア活動を楽しむバディが欲しい。 (いっしょにあうとどあかつどうをたのしむばでぃがほしい。) – I want a buddy to enjoy outdoor activities with.

バディと一緒に映画を観に行こう。 (ばでぃといっしょにえいがをみにいこう。) — Let’s go watch a movie with our buddies.

彼は信頼できるバディで、いつも助けてくれます。 (かれはしんらいできるばでぃで、いつもたすけてくれます。) — He is a trustworthy buddy who always helps me.

連れ , sometimes written as ツレ , is another informal/slang term for a friend or companion and is most often used by young men. As with most slang words, you’re going to want to be careful how you use it and probably avoid it unless you’re certain you’re using it in the right context.

ツレは全員東京に行ってしまった。 (つれはぜんいんとうきょうにいってしまった。) — All of my friends have gone to Tokyo.

東京に引っ越して以来、俺は連れに会っていない。 (とうきょうにひっこしていらい、おれはつれにあっていない。) — I have not seen my friend since I moved to Tokyo.

連れの消息を聞いたことがあるかい？ (つれのしょうそくをきいたことがあるかい？) — Have you heard the news of my friends?

9. 幼馴染み ( おさななじみ) — Childhood friend

This is quite a special term in Japanese. Childhood friends or 幼馴染み usually live in the same neighborhood or attend the same school, and the word is often associated with feelings of nostalgia and affection.

幼馴染みとの再会は心が温まる瞬間です。 (おさななじみとのさいかいはこころがあたたまるしゅんかんです。) — Reuniting with a childhood friend is a heartwarming moment.

幼馴染みの彼とは家族同然の関係です。 (おさななじみのかれとはかぞくどうぜんのかんけいです。) — My childhood friend is like family to me.

幼馴染みの彼女とは遠く離れていても、心はいつも繋がっている。 (おさななじみのかのじょとはとおくはなれていても、こころはいつもつながっている。) — Even if we are far apart, my childhood friend (female) and I are always connected in our hearts.

When referring to a partner in a common activity, you might choose to use 相棒 when describing the relationship. The friendship is usually linked to a similar interest in something. 相棒 can describe this relationship in a very friendly manner and is similar to the English word “buddy.”

僕の相棒は二人共、切手収集家だ。 (ぼくのあいぼうはふたりともきってしゅうしゅうかだ。) — Both [partners] of them are stamp collectors.

俺の相棒はとってもテニスがうまい。 (おれのあいぼうはとってもてにすがうまい。) — My buddy is a very skilled tennis player.

相棒もチェスクラブにいる。 (あいぼうもちぇすくらぶにいる。) — My friend is also in the chess club.

味方 means a friend who supports, helps, or defends you, often in a specific situation. It’s commonly used in sports or competitions to describe someone who’s on your side or on your team. It also includes friends who stand up for you, especially when you’re having a problem.

私の友人は私の味方でいつも支えてくれます。 (わたしのゆうじんはわたしのみかたでいつもささえてくれます。) — My friend is always on my side and supports me.

彼は私の最も信頼できる味方です。 (かれはわたしのもっともしんらいできるみかたです。) — He is my most trusted ally.

私たちは困難な時にお互いの味方となります。 (わたしたちはこんなんなときにおたがいのみかたとなります。) — We become each other’s allies in difficult times.

You often hear this word used in anime or see it in manga. It’s 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 “fellow” or “comrade.”

仲間が富士山に登ります。 (なかまがふじさんにのぼります。) — My friends climb Mount Fuji.

その人は私の仲間です。 (そのひとはわたしのなかまです。) — That man is my comrade.

私達は皆、チェスクラブの仲間です。 (わたしたちはみな、ちぇすくらぶのなかまです。) — We are all friends of the chess club.

This word refers to a co-worker or colleague.

同僚は今夜、バーで会っている。 (どうりょうはこんや、ばーであっている。) — My co-workers are meeting at the bar tonight.

同僚は昨夜、非常に酔っていた。 (どうりょうはさくや、ひじょうによっていた。) — My colleagues got very drunk last night.

同僚は全員、刑務所にいる。 (どうりょうはぜんいん、けいむしょにいる。) — All of my co-workers are in jail.

When referring to a business colleague or when indicating an ally in a political context, you can use 盟友 .

私の盟友は政治職に立候補しています。 (わたしのめいゆうはせいじしょくにりっこうほしています。) — My colleague is running for political office.

私は緑の党に盟友がいません。 (わたしはみどりのとうにめいゆうがいません。) — I have no allies in the Green Party.

盟友と私は固い握手を交わした。 (めいゆうとわたしはかたいあくしゅをかわした。) — My colleague and I clasped hands.

While Japanese speakers may not explicitly discuss friendship among each other, there’s no shortage of Japanese words or phrases to indicate a variety of friendship types.

The range of words referencing friendship outnumber those in English, but, as with any language, it’s important to understand the context behind a word before using it. This means that using contextual learning like the immersive video-style learning on FluentU is one of the best ways to know how to use these words in actual conversation.

In most cases, 友達 (ともだち) and 友人 (ゆうじん) are the safest choices.

But, go ahead and explore the broad spectrum of ways to express friendship in Japanese. Talking about friendship is always a good thing!

If you love learning Japanese with authentic materials, then I should also tell you more about FluentU .

FluentU naturally and gradually eases you into learning Japanese language and culture. You'll learn real Japanese as it's spoken in real life.

FluentU has a broad range of contemporary videos as you'll see below:

FluentU makes these native Japanese videos approachable through interactive transcripts. Tap on any word to look it up instantly.

All 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.

And 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.

The best part? FluentU keeps track of your vocabulary, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You'll have a 100% personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Articles & Advice > Majors and Academics > Blog

My Journey Studying a Foreign Language: Japanese

Naomi discovered that studying a foreign language in college isn't quite the same as high school...

by Naomi Hong Student, Occidental College

Last Updated: Mar 16, 2023

Originally Posted: Nov 26, 2016

Most high schools throughout the United States require at least two years of foreign language in order to graduate, and nearly all colleges require some foreign language experience in their general education. In a fast-paced, globalized world with near constant communication between people of all nations and tongues, the ability to speak a foreign language is already a highly valued skill in the workforce.

I’m a college junior double-majoring in both Japanese and international relations, and nearly all the programs and internships I have applied for or participated in preferred candidates who were “business level” proficient or higher in a second language. Now in my seventh year of studying Japanese, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the journey that has brought me to where I am now, currently studying abroad in Tokyo for the fall semester and entering my second internship in a Japanese business. Hopefully my experience is relatable to others college and even high schools students who have pursued foreign language study as a significant component of their academic career. I also hope to provide some insight to those who are just embarking on their language acquisition journey.

Why I chose to study a foreign language

Growing up I had only spoken English; my parents are Asian American and also do not speak any other language fluently. Unlike many of my Asian American peers, I was not enrolled in a language school from an early age, so my first experience learning a second language started freshman year of high school.

My desire to study Japanese came from my mom’s Japanese American heritage and my previous travels to Japan. Although I had been to Japan several times, I could not fully engage with the culture because I did not understand the language, so I felt that learning it would help me appreciate my experiences more. The opportunity came when a high school in my city offered a waiver program where we could transfer if we committed to take four years of Japanese. I eagerly signed up and was accepted, and thus started my journey studying the foreign language I still am working on today.

My language journey in high school

In the beginning, learning Japanese was a breeze for me. Japanese has a lot of set grammar patterns, expressions, and conjugations that you can easily grasp with just a little bit of practice. The first three years of my in-school classes taught me all the basic grammar I needed to get around Japan, plus the bare minimum phrases and make easy, superficial conversation. The fourth year of high school Japanese emphasized using all of the things we learned instead of teaching us new things.

In addition to my high school language classes, the summer after my junior year I studied abroad in Japan for six weeks and lived with a host family while attending a local high school. Looking back at my high school language journey, I saw a huge improvement relatively rapidly, especially from the first to third year of study. Just like many people when they first start a language, everything is new and exciting, and it is relatively easy to see progress. I was at the top of my classes and people thought of me as the language “expert.” I tried to sound as smart as possible and explain things to my classmates…even though I probably did not understand all the grammar points perfectly myself.

Related: The Experts' Choice: Colleges with Great Study Abroad Options

My language journey in college

Coming into college I was proficient enough to test into the highest level of Japanese, so I was put into a translation class that many seniors often take in order to finish the major. My college classes were quite different from my high school ones. For starters, classes in college are not every day, so instead of having Japanese one hour five days a week, you have it for one hour three times a week. My Japanese college classes also centered on a specific theme, such as translation of essays or reading newspapers, instead of just holistic Japanese learning. The other students in my class ranged from people who studied throughout high school like me to people who spoke it at home and to actual native speakers. I was not the “top dog” anymore, but I still enjoyed the challenge nonetheless.

As my college semesters progressed and I became more involved in other things, I found myself finding less time and motivation to study Japanese compared to when I was in high school. I also experienced “retroactive interference,” where new information learned prevents you from recalling old information. The more concepts I learned, the more my brain felt overwhelmed and it was harder to see a lot of improvement. I often felt envious of my other friends who studied Japanese just like me but moved there after high school who seemed like they suddenly became “fluent.” I frequently fixated becoming “fluent,” without really defining what fluency meant to me; in retrospect I think I just wanted to be the best at something, to go back to being the “expert” like I was in high school.

My sophomore year Japanese classes and my internship in Tokyo this year have truly humbled me and have allowed me to set more realistic foreign language development goals. I have learned to not compare my foreign language journey to others’ or treat it like a competition. Rather, the goal should be to do one’s own best while humbly being able to look to those who are better than you for advice and helping others who are not as advanced as you in a way that you would like to be helped. I have also learned that it is okay to ask questions and to openly express that you don’t understand something, although I still sometimes have trouble admitting that I am completely lost in Japanese class and pretend that I know what’s going on. And there are times when I wish I could just hurry up and improve so I can feel confident while engaging in deep conversations with my friends in Japanese!

These days foreign language fluency for me means being able to enter into almost any situation and feel confident that I can understand and be understood. Or if I don’t understand something for any reason, I am comfortable asking for clarification and then understand the follow-up. Fluency also means being able to keep up the many relationships I have developed with my Japanese friends on a level comparable to how I relate to my native-English-speaker friends. After all, I have to remember that my end goal of studying this foreign language is so I could communicate and appreciate my experiences in the foreign culture I chose to submerse myself in. I recently saw my aunt who is fluent in Japanese and has orchestrated business deals and presentations in Japanese for some language tips, and she said her fluency has been a 40-year long journey. Considering that I am only in my seventh year of my journey, I have a long way to go. I may not be the best, but I am committed to my own personal growth as I study my foreign language.

Did you/are you studying any foreign languages in high school or college? Share your tips for other students in the comments.

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About Naomi Hong

Naomi Hong graduated from Occidental College in 2018 with a degree in International Relations and Japanese and a minor in Economics. She currently works as a concierge/front desk agent at a luxury hotel in Southern California. She's passionate about hospitality and travel and hope to continue my career within the hotel industry. She also enjoys writing articles about career advice, studying abroad, and learning new languages.

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Japanese Particles Master

particles for perfection

September 19, 2020 By Masaki Mori Leave a Comment

Tomodachi vs. Yuujin: two Japanese words for ‘friend’

What do “tomodachi” and “yuujin” mean in japanese.

Native speakers use tomodachi and yuujin sometimes interchangeably to mean a ‘friend’ in Japanese. Probably, many Japanese learners know these two words as they are often used in Japanese textbooks. In this blog post, however, I’m explaining them in detail based on their kanji expressions. And also, I’m explaining how to use them through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand tomodachi and yuujin more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Definition and meaning of “tomodachi”

Tomodachi in kanji, definition and meaning of “yuujin”, yuujin in kanji, how to use “tomodachi”, how to use “yuujin”.

Let me start with the definition and meaning of tomodachi .

tomodachi – 友達 (ともだち) : a noun meaning a ‘friend’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural .

Native speakers use this noun to refer to a person whom they know well and like much. So, its usage is very similar to that of the English noun, friend , I think.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

The kanji expression of tomodachi consists of the following two kanji characters:

友 : a kanji character widely used to mean a ‘friend’ in Japanese. This can work alone, but can be a bit old fashioned.
達 : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that tomodachi is grammatically the plural form of the Japanese friend . Actually, it used to be a plural noun. Today, however, native speakers often use it as a singular noun to mean a ‘friend’ in Japanese. In Japanese, the border between plural and singular nouns is very ambiguous. Or perhaps I should say, Japanese people do not care much about the difference. So, Japanese plural nouns often revert to singular as times change.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of tomodachi through the detailed kanji check above.

Next, let me explain the definition and meaning of yuujin .

yuujin – 友人 (ゆうじん) : a noun meaning a ‘friend’ in Japanese.

This noun can also work as plural, but native speakers rarely use this to mean ‘friends’ in Japanese. To understand this point, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

The kanji expression of yuujin consists of the following two kanji characters:

友 : the same as explained above. This kanji is widely used to mean a ‘friend’ in Japanese.
人 : a kanji character widely used to mean a ‘person’ in Japanese.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that yuujin literally means a ‘friend person’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation implies that it is a singular noun. Actually, it is widely considered as singular. Native speakers, however, have already changed tomodachi back to a singular noun. So, they don’t use yuujin that often. Still, very interestingly, yuujin survives as a polite expression. It is therefore suitable for formal situations.

Tomodachi vs. Yuujin: which to use

So far, I’ve explained the definitions and meanings of tomodachi and yuujin in detail based on their kanji expressions. Naturally, the question arises: which should we use? In many cases, we can use tomodachi to mean a ‘friend’ or ‘friends’ in Japanese. Despite being less polite, it is still acceptable in various situations. Only in very formal situations, we should use yuujin to refer to someone whom we know well and like much.

Then, let me explain how to use these two nouns through the example sentences below.

kanojo wa watashi no tomodachi desu – 彼女は私の友達です (かのじょはわたしのともだちです) She is a friend of mine.

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after kanojo to make the subject in the sentence.
watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after watashi to make its possessive case, watashi no , which means ‘my’ in Japanese.
desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after watashi no tomodachi to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of tomodachi . In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, watashi no tomodachi , which literally means ‘my friend’ in Japanese. It has been translated as a friend of mine , though. When we want to mean a ‘friend’ or ‘friends’ in Japanese, anyway, this noun is always a very good option.

boku no yuujin wa subarashii hito desu – 僕の友人は素晴らしい人です (ぼくのゆうじんはすばらしいひとです) My friend is a wonderful person.

boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males. In the example, this works together with no to mean ‘my’ in Japanese.
subarashii – 素晴らしい (すばらしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘wonderful’ or such in Japanese.
hito – 人 (ひと) : a noun meaning a ‘person’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.

This is a typical usage of yuujin . As it is more polite than tomodachi , the example sentence sounds more polite as well. When we want to refer to a friend or friends in very formal situations, yuujin can be a better option.

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definitions and meanings of tomodachi and yuujin in detail based on their kanji expressions. And also, I’ve explained how to use them through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

tomodachi – 友達 (ともだち) : a noun meaning a ‘friend’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. This is grammatically the plural form of the Japanese friend . Today, however, native speakers often use this as a singular noun to mean a ‘friend’ in Japanese. In Japanese, the border between plural and singular nouns is very ambiguous. In many cases, anyway, we can use this noun to mean a ‘friend’ or ‘friends’ in Japanese.
yuujin – 友人 (ゆうじん) : a noun meaning a ‘friend’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural, but native speakers rarely use this to mean ‘friends’ in Japanese. Native speakers have already changed tomodachi back to a singular noun. So, they don’t have to use this noun that often. Still, very interestingly, this noun survives as a polite expression.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.

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, July 12, 2023

The 10 Best Japanese Words For Friend

Wondering about the common Japanese words for friend? Gon, Killua, Ash, and Pikachu are among the most iconic and beloved friendships in the world of anime. These characters have captured the hearts of fans worldwide, showcasing the power and importance of strong bonds. In our journey to learn Japanese, it is only fitting to explore various words used to express friendship.

One of the fundamental aspects of language learning is understanding how to describe relationships and connect with people from different cultures. When we venture to foreign lands like Japan, we inevitably encounter individuals who may become lifelong companions. Even if we don’t have the opportunity to visit Japan, anime is a powerful source of inspiration, urging us to seek genuine friendships that endure both joys and hardships. In this article, we will delve into different ways to express the idea of “friend” in Japanese, with a focus on the term “ともだち” (tomodachi).

Different Japanese Words For Friend

Friendships come in various forms and degrees of closeness, with different types and levels depending on the nature of the relationship. We encounter close friends like family, acquaintances we meet casually, and work friends with whom we share a professional bond. The Japanese language offers an array of words and expressions to describe these nuanced friendships, surpassing the options available in English.

Friend – ともだち(Tomodachi)

Japanese-Words-For-Friend-Tomodachi-ともだち

Example Sentence: My friend is good. – わたくしのともだちはいいひとです。 watashino tomodachiwa ī hitodesu

The simplest and most common way to say friend in Japanese is ともだち(tomodachi). This word is made of two kanji characters tomo (友 / とも), which means friend, and dachi (達 / だち), which refers to the ‘person’ (more than one) noun’s plural form. It may also be seen as a simple, polite word, but it is inappropriate for very formal conversation.

Tomodachi can be used in the majority of circumstances. However, it doesn’t provide any information regarding the close friendship. It might refer to a good friend like Hinata and Kageyama (Haikyu!!) or someone you enjoy hanging out with, like Naruto and Sasuke.

Friend (Polite) – ゆうじん(Yuujin)

Yuujin is the formal translation of tomodachi. It has the same first character 友 (friend), which is pronounced here as “yuu,” and has the same Chinese reading (onyomi). Older Japanese language textbooks that utilize a more formal dialect of spoken Japanese may use the expression ゆうじん (Yuujin). You’re less likely to stumble across this usage outside of particular settings if most of your exposure to Japanese has come from manga or anime .

Close Friend/ Best Friend – しんゆう (Shinyuu)

Example Sentence: My close friend’s cat is cute. – わたくしのしんゆうのねこはかわいいです。(watashino shin’yūno nekowa kawaīdesu)

If you have a close friend or a friend, you’ve known for a long time, like Goku and Krillin in the anime “Dragon Ball,” this is the correct word for friend in Japanese that you’re looking for. It comes from the same kanji character as the adjective 親しい (shitashii), which means “intimate.”

Best friend/ BFF/ Great Friend – だいしんゆう (Daishinyuu)

Example Sentence: We’re best friends / BFF’s right? – わたしたちはだいしんゆうでしょ？ (watashitachiwa daishin’yūdesho)

When discussing best friends in the anime world, we can never forget the friendship of Ash and Pikachu in “Pokemon.” The Japanese word しんゆう (shinyuu), as stated in the previous one, refers to a very close friend. On the other hand, だいしんゆう(daishinyuu) means ” BFF (Best Friend Forever) or your very best friend.”

Partner/ Ally/ Supporter – Mikata (みかた)

Example Sentence: I’m on your side no matter what! -おれはきみのみかただよ！(orewa kimino mikatadayo)

Mikata (みかた) is a type of friendship in which you are “on someone’s side” or have the same goal or situation. In this way, it is like nakama, which is someone you do something with, like Shinichi Kudo and Hattori Heiji in “Detective Conan.”

Comrade/ Mate/ Pal – なかま(Nakama)

Example Sentence: He’s my mate from the volleyball club. – かれはバレーボールぶのわたくしのなかまです。 (kare wa bareibōru bu no watakushi no nakama desu.)

Nakama (なかま) does not necessarily mean “friendship.” One of the players on your basketball squad might be your nakama. Just like Sakuragi and Rukawa in the hit anime series “Slam Dunk.”. Whether you are close friends or not, they are your nakama.

Childhood Friend – おさななじみ (Osananajimi)

Example Sentence: I miss my childhood friend. – わたくしはおさななじみがこいしい。(watashiwa osananajimiga koishī)

Most of us have childhood friends or friends that we cherish even when we get older. Some childhood friends might not last longer than we expected, but some indeed stay. Sometimes, a childhood friend can become a significant other, just like Yusuke Urameshi & Keiko Yukimura in “Yu Yu Hakusho.”

This word has an exciting meaning. The Japanese word おさな (osana) means “childhood.” The kanji for “to get used to” is な (na), and the kanji for “to dye or stain” is じみ (jimi).

Coworker/ Colleague – どうりょう (Douryou)

Example Sentence: My co-workers are in a meeting. – どうりょう-たちはかいぎ-ちゅうです。(dōryōtachiwa kaigichūdesu)

When we are at our workplace, it’s nice to have a work friend that can make the work bearable and easy. We can say “どうりょう (douryou)” to our friends at work in a formal way. When we take a look at the meaning of this word, the word どう (dou) means “same” while りょう (ryou) means “an official, a colleague or a companion.” So, we can think of douryou as a group of people who work at the same place.

Acquaintance -しりあい (Shiriai)

Example Sentence: I have many acquaintances. – しりあいがおおいです。 (shiriaiga ōidesu)

In the anime “Detective Conan,” a character named Sonoko has many acquaintances because their family is rich. Shiriai (しりあい), which means “acquaintance” in English, refers to persons you encounter in a variety of contexts, such as through employment or a mutual friend. Shiriai (しりあい) is made of two words, shiri (知り) meaning ‘to know’ and ai (会い/あい) meaning ‘to meet.’

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Japan is indeed a beautiful country to visit. From the tourist spots down to the food , you’ll enjoy the culture of Japan. But, being able to communicate with the Japanese people will give you a deeper connection with this country. So, it’s not enough to learn how to say friend in Japanese. You can start learning Japanese with the Ling app now.

Learning Japanese with the Ling app feels like just playing a game. It is engaging yet meaningful. You can develop your language skills using advanced features like smart flashcards, audio recordings, voice recognition technology, quizzes, and more. You can also read blog posts like this to widen your understanding of their culture. This way, you’ll have something to discuss with your new friends in Japan.

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How to Say “Me and My Friend” in Japanese: Formal and Informal Ways

Are you interested in learning how to say “me and my friend” in Japanese? Whether you’re planning a trip to Japan or simply want to expand your language skills, understanding how to express this concept is essential. In this guide, we’ll explore the formal and informal ways to convey “me and my friend” in Japanese. Let’s dive in!

Formal Expressions

When speaking formally, it’s important to use appropriate language to show respect. In Japanese, there are a few expressions you can use to indicate “me and my friend” formally. Let’s take a look:

1. Watashi to Tomodachi

The most common and straightforward way to say “me and my friend” in formal Japanese is “ Watashi to Tomodachi ,” which directly translates to “my friend and I.” “ Watashi ” means “I” or “me,” and “ Tomodachi ” means “friend.” This phrase is universally understood and widely used in formal situations.

2. Watashi no Yūjin to Watashi

Another formal way to express “me and my friend” is “ Watashi no Yūjin to Watashi ,” which translates to “my friend and I.” “ No ” indicates possession or belonging, so “ Watashi no Yūjin ” means “my friend.” This phrase is slightly more formal than the previous one but is still suitable for most formal situations.

Informal Expressions

In casual conversations, different expressions are used to convey “me and my friend” in Japanese. These expressions are suitable when talking to close friends, family members, or peers. Let’s explore some informal options:

1. Boku to Tomo

“ Boku to Tomo ” is an informal way to say “me and my friend” in Japanese. “ Boku ” is a casual way to refer to oneself, meaning “I” or “me,” and “ Tomo ” is a more relaxed term for “friend.” This expression is commonly used among male speakers and is appropriate for informal situations.

2. Ore to Nakama

Similar to the previous example, “ Ore to Nakama ” is an informal expression meaning “me and my friend.” “ Ore ” is another casual way to refer to oneself, particularly used by males. “ Nakama ” translates to “friend” or “comrade” and is commonly used among friends in casual settings or when addressing peers.

Tips and Examples

Here are some useful tips and additional examples to help you use these phrases correctly:

1. Pay Attention to Word Order

In Japanese, the word order is different from English. The subject usually comes before the object in a sentence. For example, “Watashi to Tomodachi” literally means “I and friend.”

2. Be Mindful of Gender Differences

The informal expressions mentioned earlier, “Boku to Tomo” and “Ore to Nakama,” are generally used by males. Females might prefer to use “Watashi to Tomodachi” or “Watashi no Yūjin to Watashi” in most situations, to maintain a more neutral and polite tone.

3. Adjust Language Depending on Context

The level of formality in Japanese is context-sensitive. If you’re unsure about the appropriate level to use, it’s generally better to err on the side of politeness and use the formal expressions.

In a social setting, a casual way to invite someone to join an activity might be: “Boku to Tomo ni ikimasen ka?” which means “Would you like to come with me and my friend?” The phrase “Tomo ni” means “together with a friend.”

4. Listen and Observe

While learning phrases is helpful, paying attention to how native speakers interact and express themselves is equally important. By listening and observing, you’ll gain a better understanding of when and how to use different expressions in practice.

Congratulations! You’ve learned the formal and informal ways to say “me and my friend” in Japanese. Remember to use “ Watashi to Tomodachi ” for formal situations, “ Boku to Tomo ” or “ Ore to Nakama ” for informal conversations among friends, and adjust the level of politeness based on context. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be able to confidently express yourself in Japanese in various social settings. Ganbatte kudasai! (Good luck!)

How to Say "Are You Japanese?" in Japanese

In your quest to learn Japanese, it's only natural to want to engage in conversation and connect with people from different backgrounds. Being able to ask someone their nationality is a great way to start a conversation. In this guide, we will explore how to ask "Are you Japanese?" in Japanese, covering both formal and informal ways, as well as providing regional variations if necessary.

How to Say "Are You Japanese?" in Japanese: A Comprehensive Guide

Gaining familiarity with various phrases in different languages can be a helpful and respectful way to engage with people from diverse backgrounds. If you are looking to inquire whether someone is Japanese, be it for travel or social purposes, it's essential to know the proper way to phrase your question in Japanese. In this guide, we will explore both the formal and informal ways to ask someone if they are Japanese in Japanese, providing you with valuable tips, examples, and regional variations.

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Learning a new language can be both exciting and challenging, and sometimes it's easy to make mistakes or stumble upon words and phrases that may not be grammatically correct or culturally appropriate. When it comes to speaking broken Japanese, it's essential to understand that it can be seen as a sign of effort and willingness to learn, but it should be used with caution and respect. In this guide, we will explore how to express the concept of broken Japanese in both formal and informal ways, along with some tips and examples to help you navigate this linguistic territory.

How to Say "Can You Speak Japanese?" in Japanese: Formal and Informal Ways

Learning how to ask "Can you speak Japanese?" in Japanese is a great way to start conversations and connect with Japanese speakers. Whether you are planning a trip to Japan, meeting new people, or simply want to show your interest in the Japanese language, this guide will provide you with the formal and informal ways to express this question. Additionally, we'll explore some tips, examples, and regional variations to enhance your understanding. So, let's dive in!

How to Say "Can You Teach Me Japanese?" in Japanese

Learning a new language can be an exciting and challenging journey. If you're interested in picking up Japanese and want to ask someone to teach you, you'll need to know how to express yourself in Japanese. In this guide, we'll explore different ways to ask "Can you teach me Japanese?" in both formal and informal contexts. We'll provide you with various tips and examples along the way to help you on your language learning quest.

Japanese Translation: How to Say "Chat" in Japanese

Learning how to say "chat" in Japanese is useful whether you're planning a trip to Japan or simply interested in expanding your language skills. In this guide, we will cover both the formal and informal ways to express this concept. Additionally, we will provide tips, examples, and insights into regional variations where necessary. Let's dive in!

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Learning how to communicate in different languages can help foster connections and create meaningful experiences. In this guide, we will explore various ways to ask "Do you speak Japanese?" in the Japanese language. We will cover both formal and informal ways to address this question, providing you with tips, examples, and even some regional variations. Let's dive in!

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11 ways to say ‘friend’ in japanese.

One of the great things about the Japanese language is how much you can express with just one word. While English speakers may have one word for something, Japanese folks have no issue expressing more nuance with their word choice. This goes especially for relationships, which is why we have this amazing list of the different ways to say ‘friend’ in Japanese.

Whether you want to call someone a friend, an acquaintance, a childhood friend, or a BFF, you can do it confidently by exploring this fun vocabulary list!

知り合い・しりあい・S hiriai

Meaning: Acquaintance

Okay, so shiriai is a little different from the other words on this list because it doesn’t mean ‘friend’ in the same way. This word is perfect for those people you know but maybe not to the level of friends. A perfect example is that person you run in the same circles with but don’t really feel close to.

The kanji (Chinese characters) for this are shiri ( 知り ) or ‘know’ and ai ( 合い ) meaning ‘to do something to one another.’ In other words, the word literally means that you just know each other. That’s it.

ラーメンやをけいえいしているしりあいがいます。 Ramen-ya wo keieishiteiru shiriai ga imasu. I have an acquaintance who runs a ramen shop.

A bowl of soy sauce ramen with a brown broth and meat, green onion and more on top

友達・ともだち・T omodachi

Meaning: Friend

The real first word meaning ‘friend’ on this list. Tomodachi is one of the most popular ways to say ‘friend’ in Japanese because it’s also the word everyone learns in their beginner Japanese class or from anime.

This word is pretty broad and can be used to describe a friend whether they’re super close, new, old, or distant. However, there’s not much context to the word, so other words can be better if you want to give more information.

Example: ともだちとラーメンをたべたいです。 Tomodachi to ramen wo tabetai desu. I want to eat ramen with my friends.

友人・ゆうじん・Y uujin

Meaning: Friend (formal)

Yuujin is a more formal Japanese word for ‘friend’. It’s like the bougie twin of tomodachi . Even the first kanji is the same. You may see this word in more formal situations and in textbooks, but you may not hear it that often in daily conversation or in anime or manga, where the conversations tend to be a bit more casual.

私の友人は醤油ラーメンの美味しさを紹介してくれました。 Watashi no yuujin wa shouyu ramen no oishisa wo shoukai shitekuremashita. My friend introduced me to the deliciousness of soy sauce ramen.

Three friends in Japan sit in front of a shop and talk

仲間・なかま・N akama

Meaning: Mate, Pal, Friend

There’s usually a bit of context to the word ‘nakama.’ ‘Nakama’ does mean mate or friend, but it’s more like someone you do something with, regardless of how close you actually are. In fact, you can combine the word with other words to describe what kind of friends you are.

For example, combine ‘benkyou’ (study) and ‘nakama’ to get the word ‘study buddy.’ Try adding ‘nomi’ (drinking) to ‘nakama’ and you get ‘drinking buddies.’ Last example: put ‘shigoto’ (work) in front and it becomes ‘shigoto nakama’, or ‘work friend.’

Example: ゴルフ仲間と一緒に喜多方ラーメンを食べに行った。 Gorufu nakama to isshoni Kitakata ramen wo tabe ni itta. I went to eat Kitakata ramen with my golf buddies.

親友・しんゆう・S hin-yuu

Meaning: Good Friend, Close Friend, Best Friend

Shin-yuu is a step up from tomodachi and is used to imply a higher level of closeness than the others so far. This isn’t just a friend; this is one of your inner circle, one of your homies, or one of your good Judys. In fact, it basically has the same weight as ‘best friend’ has in English. But there is one word that is even stronger on this list.

Example: 親友のみんなはラーメンが大好きです。 Shinyuu no minna ha ramen ga daisuki desu. All of my good friends love ramen.

仲良し・なかよし・N akayoshi

Meaning: Good Friend, Close Friend, Pal, Chum

Nakayoshi is really similar to shin-yuu , but it has a less formal and a slightly lighter feeling. It’s a close friend or it can be a close-knit group of friends. This is for someone who you feel comfortable with, enjoy spending time with, have a great connection and just have a lot in common.

Example: 仲良しと一緒にラーメン食べると幸せです。 Nakayoshi to isshoni ramen wo taberu to shiawase. Eating ramen with my pals is happiness.

A woman holds up her phone for a selfie with her best male friend as they lie down at a picnic

大親友・だいしんゆう・D aishinyuu

Meaning: Best Friend, Bestie, Very Best Friend, Very Good Friend

This is the highest friend status you can get. Daishinyuu is that very best friend that you couldn’t live without. This is your BFF, your BAE, your bestie, your confidant, or your platonic soulmate.

Example: ラーメンはナカマヌードルの大親友です！ Ramen wa Nakama Noodles no daishin-yuu desu. Ramen is Nakama Noodles’s best friend forever!

同僚・どうりょう・D ouryou

Meaning: Colleague, Co-worker

Unlike the others, this one is more situational. Douryou leans more towards colleague than friend, but it also has limits. As you may know, people who are slightly above or more experienced tend to be called senpai , and those less experienced or slightly below you are kouhai . Douryou is mostly for people who are on more or less the same level as you, are in the same workplace, and are about the same in terms of experience.

昨日ランチで同僚とラーメンを食べた。 Kinou ranchi de douryou to ramen wo tabeta. Yesterday, I had ramen for lunch with my co-workers!

味方・みかた・M ikata

Meaning: Ally, Supporter, Comrade

Your mikata is your ally. In some ways, it’s a friendship that comes from being on the same side, which implies a common goal or activity. Think about a battle, a video game with two or more teams, or a game of intrigue. You want people you can trust who are working on the same goal. Those people are your mikata.

Example: ナカマヌードルはラーメンの味方です！ Nakama Noodles wa ramen no mikata desu! Nakama Noodles is an ally of ramen!

A bowl of creamy Yokohama Iekei ramen with spinach, meat, and more on top.

幼馴染（幼なじみ）・おさななじみ・O sananajimi

Meaning: Childhood Friend

This is another way to say ‘friend’ that has a bit of context to it. Your osananajimi is your childhood friend. You go way back to grade school or earlier and grew up together in many ways. This is the friend that you can say, “Remember that time in 1 st grade when…?” and they’re answer is “Of course!”

The kanji for osana ( 幼 ) tends to mean very young or it can mean immature. Add this to the word najimi ( 馴染み ) or ‘familiarity’, and you get a childhood friend!

幼なじみと 15 年ぶりに会って、博多ラーメンを食べに行きました。 Osananajimi to 15nenburi ni atte, Hakata ramen wo tabe ni ikimashita. I met my childhood friend for the first time in 15 years, and we went to eat ramen.

Honorable mention:

You may recognize the kanji tomo from the word tomodachi . The reason it’s on this list is because tomo on its own isn’t something native speakers use to describe a friend. However, much like nakama , you combine it with certain words to say what type of friends someone is.

For example, nomitomo ( 飲み友 ) means friends who you usually go drinking with. Meanwhile, merutomo ( メル友 ) are like e-mail pen pals who you probably never actually meet in real life.

Example: お酒を飲むたびに、最後に飲み友と一緒にラーメンを食べに行きます。 Nomitomo to nomu tabini, saigo ni ramen wo tabe ni ikimasu. Every time I drink with my drinking buddies, we go to eat ramen at the end.

A bowl of ramen sits in front of a glass of beer on a ramen shop counter

Speaking of end of the night, that’s the end of our list. The beautiful thing about Japanese is that it has a huge vocabulary, so there are plenty of ways to say ‘friend’ in Japanese. We didn’t even touch on slang like my-men and dachi because slang like that falls in and out of popularity all the time.

If you’d love to learn more about Japanese slang or any other words you want to learn about, let us know in the comments!

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Girl at Sleepover Where Friend's Dad Allegedly Drugged Group Texted Mom in Panic: 'Please Pick Up. Please'

Michael Meyden, 57, is accused of drugging three of his daughter's 12-year-old friends during a sleepover last August, according to police.

Harrowing text messages show the panic a 12-year-old girl felt the night her friend’s dad allegedly attempted to drug her and at least two other friends at his daughter’s sleepover, according to authorities.

A probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE quotes two text messages sent by the scared 12-year-old girl as she tried to contact her mother — and then multiple friends’ parents – to pick her up from Michael Meyden’s home in Lake Oswego, Ore., last August.

Police allege that Meyden, 57, drugged three girls who were staying over at his house for a sleepover with his daughter, lacing a batch of mango smoothies with benzodiazepine and encouraging the girls to drink them.

Meyden was indicted last week on nine felony and misdemeanor charges including causing another person to ingest a controlled substance, according to the Lake Oswego Police Department. After pleading not guilty, the father of two was released on a $50,000 bond last week.

One girl at the sleepover didn’t drink much of her smoothie and remained awake when Meyden allegedly returned to the basement where they were sleeping — a pair of the visiting girls on a pull-out couch and another sleeping next to Meyden’s daughter in an extra bedroom in the basement, according to the affidavit.

The 12-year-old girl told investigators that she “pretended to be asleep” while Meyden allegedly hovered over her and her friend on a pull-out couch and performed “tests” on them to make sure they were asleep, the affidavit states. He then allegedly began separating two on the bed before suddenly going back upstairs.

The girl tried to shake her friend awake, but her friend would not fully awaken.

"Mom please pick me up and say I had a family emergency,” the girl frantically texted her mother at 1:43 a.m., per the affidavit. “I don't feel safe. I might not respond but please come get me (crying emoji), Please. Please pick up. Please. PLEASE!!”

The girl’s mother did not respond, so the girl began calling and texting several friends to ask them to ask their parents to pick her up. Finally, one friend answered and sent her mother to pick the girl up from Meyden’s house.

“So I'm ‘sleeping’ and her dad comes down and (I'm) hugging [the friend] because she was scared, and he kept moving us away from each other but kept doing tests to make sure we weren't awake,” the frightened girl alleged to her friend over text, according to the affidavit. “Also, [the friend] won't wake up and she did for like seconds, but she kept her eyes closed and didn't talk."

The friend’s mother soon arrived and picked the 12-year-old girl up from Meyden’s house, safely bringing her back home where she woke up her parents and told them what had allegedly happened. Her parents then contacted the parents of the two remaining girls who were at Meyden’s house and told them to pick their daughters up.

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The other parents arrived at Meyden’s house around 3 a.m. and told Meyden they were there to pick up their daughters. “I don’t understand,” Meyden replied, urging the parents to come back the next morning because the girls were asleep downstairs with his daughter, the affidavit alleges. The parents refused to leave and went inside with Meyden to retrieve their kids, taking them to a nearby hospital the next morning where all three allegedly tested positive for benzodiazepine, according to the affidavit.

Less than two months after the incident last summer, Meyden got divorced from his wife of 16 years. He’s now living in Vancouver, Wash., according to local KIRO7 .

Additional reporting by Christine Pelisek .

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【友】How to write the kanji for "friend" in Japanese "tomo" and stroke order
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How to write Friend in Japanese
Easy Japanese Lesson #8: "This is my friend, Ayaka-san."
Japanese Essays
How do you say "thank you for being my friend." in Japanese?

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COMMENTS

Writing an essay about your friend in Japanese
Writing an essay about your friend in Japanese. The paragraph below has about 1000 words. It won a prize in the writing exam in Japan. Opening 「いつも、ひなちゃんのお世話をしていてえらいね」 "Itsumo, Hina-chan no osewa wo shite ite erai ne" "You always take care of Hina. Good girl / Good boy".
9 Ways to Say Friend in Japanese
shinyuu. 親友 / しんゆう. close friend, best friend. Use shinyuu for your closest friends. Shinyuu (親友 / しんゆう) doesn't have a direct translation in English, but we know from its kanji characters that this friend is closer than your tomodachi or yuujin. Shin (親) means 'intimate' and as we know tomo / yuu （友）means ...
14 Fascinating Ways to Say 'Friend' in Japanese
友達 (Tomodachi) is a universal term that can be used in various contexts to describe those cherished special people in our lives. Here are some examples of how 友達 (Tomodachi) can be used in Japanese: 彼女は私の友達です. (Kanojo wa watashi no tomodachi desu.) She is my friend. 私の友達は日本人です. (Watashi no tomodachi ...
How to Say Friend in Japanese: 12 Polite and Slang Words
2. 友人 (Yuujin) - Friend (Polite) As mentioned at the beginning of this article, 友人 ( yuujin) is the basic and polite way to say friend in Japanese. Translated, it means familiar/friendly person. Yuujin is a "safe" way to say friend in Japanese because it's polite—but not too polite.
Japanese Writing Lab #1: Basic self-introduction
In a recent post I announced I would be starting a new program on my blog called "Japanese Writing Lab" that aims to motivate people to practice writing in Japanese, provides feedback on their writing, and allows them to see posts of other Japanese learners. This article represents the first writing assignment of that program. For this assignment, I'd like to focus on a very common, but ...
Essay on Japanese Friend
500 Words Essay on Japanese Friend Introduction to Japanese Friends. When you hear the term "Japanese friend," you might think of someone from the country of Japan. Japan is a place with beautiful cherry blossoms and a rich history. A Japanese friend can teach you about their culture, language, and traditions. Friendship is important in ...
Lesson8 This is my friend, Ayaka-san.
友達のあやかさんです. This is my friend, Ayaka-san. To introduce someone to someone else, say a word to explain the relationship, followed by "no" and then the person's name and "desu ...
Jikoshoukai: How to Introduce Yourself in Japanese
Bow instead, and do so at the beginning and end of your jikoshoukai. 5. Holding Your Hands Behind Your Back. In Japan, holding your hands behind your back signals importance, so it may make you look full of yourself. Put your hands in front of you (the left hand on top of the right), or put your hands beside you. 6.
Resource Guide for Japanese Language Students: Essays
A collection of essays by Murakami Haruki who is a best-selling contemporary Japanese writer. Each essay, originally published in a women's magazine "an-an" from 2000 to 2001, is approx. 4-8 pages. No furiganas are provided. (added 4/8/2014) To see a sample text in a new tab, please click on the cover image or the title.
A Comprehensive Guide: How to Say "My Friend" in Japanese
1. 友達 (Tomodachi): When speaking casually, "友達" is the most common and versatile term used to refer to a friend. Example: "私の友達 (Watashi no tomodachi)" translates to "my friend" in a casual tone. 2. マブダチ (Mabudachi): This term adds a touch of intimacy and warmth, often used among close friends. Example ...
How to Talk About Your Interests and Hobbies in Japanese
Talking about your hobbies and interests is a great way to connect with others and share your passions. To introduce your hobbies and interests in Japanese, you can use the following phrases: 私は___が好きです。. Watashi wa ___ ga suki desu. I like ___. 私は___に興味があります。. Watashi wa ___ ni kyoumi ga arimasu. I am ...
How to say "friend" in Japanese in many ways and situations
6.2 Plural Form of "Friend" in Japanese; 6.3 Plural Suffixes; 7 Kanji Characters for "Friend" in Japanese. 7.1 Two Kanji Words; 8 How to Say "Close Friend" and "Best Friend" in Japanese. 8.1 "Close Friend" to Express Deeper Friendships; 8.2 "Close Friend" For Formal Expressions; 8.3 "Best Friend" in Japanese Slang
14 Ways to Say Friend in Japanese: From BFFs to Business ...
13. 同僚 (どうりょう) — Co-worker, colleague. 14. 盟友 (めいゆう) — Business colleague or co-worker, political ally. And One More Thing... 1. 友達 (ともだち) — Friend. This is the most recognizable word for "friend" that students of Japanese come across, and with good reason. It's the most analogous in usage to ...
How to Say "You're My Friend" in Japanese: Formal and Informal Ways
1. 君は友達だよ (Kimi wa tomodachi da yo) This colloquial phrase is often used among friends. "Kimi" means "you" in a familiar way, and adding "da yo" at the end adds emphasis and creates a friendly tone. 2. お前は友達だ (Omae wa tomodachi da) Please note that this expression is casual and should only be used with close ...
How to Say "This is My Friend" in Japanese: Formal and Informal Ways
Here are a few phrases you can use to introduce your friend formally: 1. これは私の友達です。. (Kore wa watashi no tomodachi desu.) This translates to "This is my friend.". Here, "これは" (Kore wa) means "This is," while "私の友達です" (watashi no tomodachi desu) denotes "my friend.". 2.
My Journey Studying a Foreign Language: Japanese
My Japanese college classes also centered on a specific theme, such as translation of essays or reading newspapers, instead of just holistic Japanese learning. ... Fluency also means being able to keep up the many relationships I have developed with my Japanese friends on a level comparable to how I relate to my native-English-speaker friends ...
Tomodachi vs. Yuujin: two Japanese words for 'friend'
Below are the new words used in the example sentence. kanojo - 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning 'she' in Japanese.; wa - は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after kanojo to make the subject in the sentence.; watashi - 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning 'I' in Japanese.; no - の : a case particle used after a ...
essay on my friend in japanese
How to Say Friend in Japanese: 12 Natural Ways. The generic word for friend in Japanese is 友人 ( yuujin ). Japanese people have many different ways to say the word friend . The
The 10 Best Japanese Words For Friend
Coworker/ Colleague - どうりょう (Douryou) Example Sentence: My co-workers are in a meeting. - どうりょう-たちはかいぎ-ちゅうです。. (dōryōtachiwa kaigichūdesu) When we are at our workplace, it's nice to have a work friend that can make the work bearable and easy. We can say "どうりょう (douryou)" to ...
How to Say "Me and My Friend" in Japanese: Formal and Informal Ways
1. Boku to Tomo. " Boku to Tomo " is an informal way to say "me and my friend" in Japanese. " Boku " is a casual way to refer to oneself, meaning "I" or "me," and " Tomo " is a more relaxed term for "friend.". This expression is commonly used among male speakers and is appropriate for informal situations. 2.
11 Ways to Say 'Friend' in Japanese
For example, combine 'benkyou' (study) and 'nakama' to get the word 'study buddy.'. Try adding 'nomi' (drinking) to 'nakama' and you get 'drinking buddies.'. Last example: put 'shigoto' (work) in front and it becomes 'shigoto nakama', or 'work friend.'. Example: ゴルフ仲間と一緒に喜多方 ...
Girl at Sleepover Where Friend's Dad Allegedly Drugged Group Texted Mom
Michael Meyden, 57, is accused of drugging three of his daughter's 12-year-old friends during a sleepover last August, according to police. Harrowing text messages show the panic a 12-year-old ...