永远的朋友
yǒng yuǎn de péng yǒu
Friends forever · trad. 永遠的朋友
永远的朋友 (yǒngyuǎn de péngyou) is a warm and sincere way to express the wish or belief that a friendship will last forever. It's commonly used among close friends to affirm their deep bond.
When to use it
Warm and heartfelt. It's suitable for both casual conversations and more sentimental occasions. For a more poetic or formal expression, you can use 友谊永存 (yǒuyì yǒngcún), meaning "friendship lasts forever." To emphasize a lifelong commitment, use 一辈子朋友 (yībèizi péngyou), "friends for life."
How to pronounce it
Sounds roughly like "YONG-ywen duh PUNG-yoh." The first character 永 (yǒng) is a third tone, and the second 远 (yuǎn) is also a third tone. Due to tone sandhi, the first 永 changes to a rising tone.
Other ways to say it
- 友谊永存yǒu yì yǒng cúnfriendship lasts forever (more poetic)
- 一辈子朋友yí bèi zi péng yǒufriends for life
- 永远是朋友yǒng yuǎn shì péng yǒuwe are friends forever (emphasizes the state)
Examples
我们永远是朋友。
wǒ men yǒng yuǎn shì péng yǒu 。
We are friends forever.
我希望我们永远是朋友。
wǒ xī wàng wǒ men yǒng yuǎn shì péng yǒu 。
I hope we'll be friends forever.
我们说好要做永远的朋友。
wǒ men shuō hǎo yào zuò yǒng yuǎn de péng yǒu 。
We promised to be friends forever.
Pro tip: Tone change: When two third tones appear consecutively, the first one changes to a second (rising) tone. So, 永远 (yǒngyuǎn) is pronounced 'yóngyuǎn,' not 'yǒngyuǎn.'
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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