中国朋友
zhōng guó péng yǒu
China friends · trad. 中國朋友
中国朋友 is the direct and common way to say "Chinese friends" or "friends from China" in Mandarin Chinese. It's a descriptive term used to refer to friends who are ethnically Chinese or who reside in China.
When to use it
Neutral. This phrase is suitable for most everyday conversations. If you want to specify friends *in* China, you can say 我在中国的朋友. If you're referring to friends who are ethnically Chinese but might live elsewhere, 华人朋友 ("ethnic Chinese friends") can also be used.
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "JONG-gwor pung-YO." 中国 has a first tone followed by a rising second tone. 朋友 has a rising second tone followed by a light, neutral tone.
Other ways to say it
- 中国的朋友zhōng guó de péng yǒuChinese friends (with 'de' for emphasis/clarity)
- 我在中国的朋友wǒ zài zhōng guó de péng yǒumy friends in China
- 华人朋友huá rén péng yǒuethnic Chinese friends
Examples
我有很多中国朋友。
wǒ yǒu hěn duō zhōng guó péng yǒu 。
I have many Chinese friends.
我的中国朋友教我学中文。
wǒ de zhōng guó péng yǒu jiào wǒ xué zhōng wén 。
My Chinese friend taught me to learn Chinese.
你有中国朋友吗？
nǐ yǒu zhōng guó péng yǒu ma ？
Do you have any Chinese friends?
Pro tip: While 中国朋友 is common, adding 的 (de) to make it 中国的朋友 is also perfectly natural and can sometimes sound a bit more complete, though the meaning is the same. It's not strictly necessary.
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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