How to Say Friend in Chinese
朋友
péngyou
朋友 (péngyou) means friend in everyday Mandarin.
Pronunciation and tones
Péng has a rising second tone. You is normally a light neutral syllable in everyday Mandarin.
Two everyday examples
他是我的朋友。
Tā shì wǒ de péngyou.
He is my friend.
我们是好朋友。
Wǒmen shì hǎo péngyou.
We are good friends.
Usage and common mistakes
Friend does not specify gender
朋友 (péngyou) can refer to a friend of any gender. 好朋友 (hǎo péngyou) means good friend.
Be careful with romantic meanings
男朋友 (nán péngyou) usually means boyfriend, and 女朋友 (nǚ péngyou) usually means girlfriend, rather than simply a male or female friend.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say friend in Chinese?
Say 朋友 (péngyou), with a rising first syllable and a light second syllable.
How do you say good friend?
好朋友 (hǎo péngyou) means good friend.
How do you say make friends?
交朋友 (jiāo péngyou) means to make friends.