Learn Chinese Characters

Meaning

friend

Chinese: 朋友、友好。

Hear the Four Tones

The same syllable “you” becomes a different word in each tone. 友 is the 3rd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.

Stroke Order

Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.

Common Words

  • 朋友péng youfriend
  • 女朋友nǚ péng yougirlfriend
  • 男朋友nán péng youboyfriend
  • 小朋友xiǎo péng yǒuchild; kid (used to refer to a child, or by an adult to address a child, or, in Taiwan, to refer to sb's own child)
  • 网友wǎng yǒuonline friend; netizen; Internet user

Example Sentence

他是我最好的朋友。Tā shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péng you.He is my best friend.

heshìisI最好zuì hǎobestdeof朋友péng youfriend

Go deeper

Where this character comes from

Two right hands (又) reaching the same way, lending each other a hand — companions working together. It means ‘friend’.

A way to remember it

Two hands helping in the same direction — friends.

Easy to confuse with

  • fǎn‘Opposite / to turn over’: a hand (又) under a cliff (厂), not two hands together.