Yuujou is the Japanese word for ‘friendship’, explained

What does “yuujou” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “yuujou” to mean ‘friendship’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, songs, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “yuujou” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “yuujou”
• What does “yuujou” literally mean in Japanese?
  • Example #1: how to say “friendship” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “yuujou”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “yuujou”

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

• yuujou – 友情 (ゆうじょう) : a noun meaning ‘friendship’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

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 “yuujou” literally mean in Japanese?

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

• 友 : a kanji character often used to mean ‘friend’ in Japanese.
• 情 : a kanji character often used to mean ‘feeling’, ’emotion’, or such in Japanese.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “yuujou” literally means ‘feelings among friends’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. Friendship can often be considered as feelings among friends.

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 “yuujou” through the detailed kanji check above.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “yuujou” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “friendship” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kore – これ : a pronoun used to refer to something close to the speaker. In the example, this is used to say “this” in Japanese.
• ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kore” to make the subject in the sentence.
• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its plural form, “watashi tachi”, which means ‘we’ 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 tachi” to make its possessive case, “watashi tachi no”, which means ‘our’ 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 tachi no yuujou” to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of “yuujou”. In this example, it works together with the possessive case, “watashi tachi no”, to mean ‘our friendship’ in Japanese.

Example #2: another usage of “yuujou”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kanojo tachi no yuujou” to make the subject in the sentence.
• totemo – とても : an adverb of degree meaning ‘very’, ‘much’, ‘so’, or such in Japanese. In the example, this is used before “utsukushii” to emphasize its meaning.
• utsukushii – 美しい (うつくしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘beautiful’ in Japanese.

This is another typical usage of “yuujou”. In this example, it works as a part of the subject in the sentence. When we want to mean ‘friendship’ in Japanese, anyway, this noun is always a very good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “yuujou” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• yuujou – 友情 (ゆうじょう) : a noun meaning ‘friendship’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘feelings among friends’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. Friendship can often be considered as feelings among friends.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.