NetChai Chinese
朋友
péng yǒu
Friend

朋友 (péngyou) is the most common and versatile way to say "friend" in Mandarin Chinese. It can refer to a casual acquaintance, a close companion, or even be used as a general term of address in some contexts.

When to use it

Neutral and widely applicable. While 朋友 can be used for anyone from an acquaintance to a close companion, for a very close friend, you can say 好朋友 (hǎo péngyou). Among men, 哥们儿 (gēmenr) is a common casual term for "buddy." For a romantic partner, use 男朋友 (nán péngyou) for boyfriend or 女朋友 (nǚ péngyou) for girlfriend.

How to pronounce it

Sounds roughly like “PUNG-yoh.” The first syllable is a rising tone, and the second syllable is typically pronounced with a light, neutral tone.

Other ways to say it

  • 好朋友hǎo péng yǒugood friend / close friend
  • 老朋友lǎo péng yǒuold friend (implying a long-standing friendship)
  • 哥们儿gē men érbuddy / pal (informal, mostly for men)

Examples

他是我最好的朋友。
tā shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péng yǒu 。
He is my best friend.
我们是老朋友了。
wǒ men shì lǎo péng yǒu le 。
We are old friends.
你有很多朋友吗？
nǐ yǒu hěn duō péng yǒu ma ？
Do you have many friends?
Pro tip: While 朋友 means "friend," be careful not to confuse it with romantic partners. For a boyfriend or girlfriend, you specifically say 男朋友 (nán péngyou) or 女朋友 (nǚ péngyou).

Related phrases

爸爸 · Dad家庭 · Family妈妈 · Mom
Want to speak Chinese for real?
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →