Tomodachi vs. Yuujin: two Japanese words for ‘friend’

What do “tomodachi” and “yuujin” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers use “tomodachi” and “yuujin” sometimes interchangeably to mean ‘friend’ in Japanese. Probably, many Japanese learners know these two words as they are often used in Japanese textbooks. In this blog post, however, I will explain them in detail based on their kanji expressions. And also, I will explain how to use them through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “tomodachi” and “yuujin” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “tomodachi”
• What does “tomodachi” literally mean in Japanese?
• Definition and meaning of “yuujin”
• What does “yuujin” literally mean in Japanese?
• Tomodachi vs. Yuujin: which to use
  • Example #1: how to use “tomodachi”
  • Example #2: how to use “yuujin”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “tomodachi”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “tomodachi”.

• tomodachi – 友達 (ともだち) : a noun meaning ‘friend’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

Native speakers use this noun to refer to a person whom they know well and like much. So, its usage is very similar to that of the English noun, “friend”, I think.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

What does “tomodachi” literally mean in Japanese?

The kanji expression of “tomodachi” consists of the following two kanji characters:

• 友 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘friend’ in Japanese. This can work alone to mean ‘friend’, but sounds a bit old-fashioned.
• 達 : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “tomodachi” is literally the plural form of “friend” in Japanese. This literal interpretation represents well its origin. In fact, it used to be a plural noun. Today, however, native speakers often use it as a singular noun to mean a ‘friend’ in Japanese. In Japanese, the border between plural and singular nouns is very ambiguous. Or perhaps I should say, Japanese people don’t care much about the difference. So, Japanese plural nouns often revert to singular as times change.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “tomodachi” through the detailed kanji check above.

Definition and meaning of “yuujin”

Next, let me explain the definition and meaning of “yuujin”.

• yuujin – 友人 (ゆうじん) : a noun meaning ‘friend’ in Japanese.

This noun can also work as plural, but native speakers rarely use this to mean ‘friends’ in Japanese. To understand this point, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

What does “yuujin” literally mean in Japanese?

The kanji expression of “yuujin” consists of the following two kanji characters:

• 友 : the same as explained above. This kanji is widely used to mean ‘friend’ in Japanese.
• 人 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘person’ in Japanese.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “yuujin” literally means a ‘friend person’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation implies that it is a singular noun. Actually, it is often considered as the singular form of “tomodachi”. Native speakers, however, have already shifted “tomodachi” back to a singular. So, they don’t often need to use “yuujin”. Interestingly, after the shift, “yuujin” remains as a polite expression for ‘friend’. It is therefore suitable for formal situations.

Tomodachi vs. Yuujin: which to use

So far, I’ve explained the definitions and meanings of “tomodachi” and “yuujin” in detail based on their kanji expressions. Then, which one should we use? In many cases, we can say “tomodachi”. Although it doesn’t sound very polite, it is still acceptable even in formal situations. Only in very formal situations, we should pick “yuujin” to refer to someone whom we know well and like much.

Then, let me explain how to use these two nouns through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to use “tomodachi”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kare” to make the subject in the sentence.
• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its possessive case, “watashi no“, which means ‘my’ in Japanese.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “watashi no tomodachi” to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of “tomodachi”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “watashi no tomodachi”, which literally means ‘my friend’ in Japanese. It has been translated as “a friend of mine”, though. When we want to mean a ‘friend’ or ‘friends’ in Japanese, anyway, this noun is always a very good option.

Example #2: how to use “yuujin”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males. In the example, this works together with “no” to say “my” in Japanese.
• subarashii – 素晴らしい (すばらしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘wonderful’ or such in Japanese.
• hito – 人 (ひと) : a noun meaning ‘person’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.

This is a typical usage of “yuujin”. As it is more polite than “tomodachi”, the example sentence sounds more polite as well. When we want to say “friend” in very formal situations, “yuujin” can be a better option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definitions and meanings of “tomodachi” and “yuujin” in detail based on their kanji expressions. And also, I’ve explained how to use them through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• tomodachi – 友達 (ともだち) : a noun meaning ‘friend’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. This is literally the plural form of “friend” in Japanese. Today, however, native speakers often use this as a singular noun to mean a ‘friend’ in Japanese. In Japanese, the border between plural and singular nouns is very ambiguous. In many cases, anyway, we can use this noun to mean a ‘friend’ or ‘friends’ in Japanese.
• yuujin – 友人 (ゆうじん) : a noun meaning ‘friend’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural, but native speakers rarely use this to mean ‘friends’ in Japanese. Literally, this noun can be considered as the singular form of “tomodachi”. Native speakers, however, have already shifted “tomodachi” back to a singular. So, they don’t often need to use “yuujin”. Interestingly, after the shift, “yuujin” remains as a polite expression for ‘friend’.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.