朋友 (péngyou) — friend
HSK 1 | noun | friend
朋友 (péngyou)
A noun meaning friend. It is one of the first and most important social words to learn in Chinese. Note that 友 on its own also means friend or friendly, but 朋友 is the standard word used in speech.
Meanings
- [noun] Friend, companion.
- [noun] (Informal) Boyfriend or girlfriend, when the context is a romantic relationship.
Example Sentences
他是我最好的朋友。 Tā shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyou. He is my best friend.
我在中国有很多朋友。 Wǒ zài Zhōngguó yǒu hěn duō péngyou. I have many friends in China.
你的朋友都是学生吗？ Nǐ de péngyou dōu shì xuésheng ma? Are all your friends students?
她带着男朋友来参加晚会。 Tā dàizhe nán péngyou lái cānjiā wǎnhuì. She brought her boyfriend to the party.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 好朋友 (hǎo péngyou) | good friend |
| 老朋友 (lǎo péngyou) | old friend |
| 男朋友 (nán péngyou) | boyfriend |
| 女朋友 (nǚ péngyou) | girlfriend |
| 新朋友 (xīn péngyou) | new friend |
| 交朋友 (jiāo péngyou) | make friends |
Memory Hook
朋 originally depicted two strings of shells side by side, suggesting equals walking together. 友 shows two hands clasped. Together they paint a picture of equals with hands joined: friends.