友 yǒu friend
friend; friendly
How to remember 友: 𠂇 left hand + 又 again = friend. On the first day of school a girl holds out her left hand, the new boy shakes it again and again, and now he is her friend.
Component breakdown
友 = 𠂇 left hand + 又 again
- 𠂇 left hand
- 又 again
On the first day of school a girl holds out her left hand, the new boy shakes it again and again, and now he is her friend.
How it came to be
Two right hands drawn side by side, both reaching the same way. Two people pulling in the same direction rather than facing each other off: that is the whole picture.
How it is used
- 'Friend', almost always bound in compounds - 朋友 (péngyou) friend, 友谊 (yǒuyì) friendship, 网友 (wǎngyǒu) online friend.
- As an adjective it means friendly/amicable: 友好 (yǒuhǎo) friendly, 友情 (yǒuqíng) friendly feeling.
- Don't use 友 alone for 'a friend' - that's 朋友; 友 is the building block.
Characters built with 友
Words with 友
- 朋友péngyǒufriendHSK 1
- 女朋友nǚpéngyougirlfriendHSK 1
- 小朋友xiǎopéngyǒuchildHSK 1
- 男朋友nánpéngyouboyfriendHSK 1
- 友好yǒuhǎofriendly (relations)HSK 4
- 友谊yǒuyìfriendshipHSK 4
- 友情yǒuqíngfriendly feelingsHSK 4
- 网友wǎngyǒuonline friendHSK 4
- 亲朋好友qīnpéng-hǎoyǒufriends and familyHSK 5
- 友人yǒurénfriendHSK 7
- 友善yǒushànfriendlyHSK 8
- 战友zhànyǒucomrade-in-armsHSK 8
- 盟友méngyǒuallyHSK 9
Example sentences
- 我是他的朋友。 Wǒ shì tā de péngyou.I'm a friend of his.
- 我认识了新朋友。 Wǒ rènshile xīn péngyou.I have made a new friend.
- 他们是真正的朋友。 Tāmen shì zhēnzhèng de péngyou.They are true friends.
- 他遇到了老朋友。 Tā yùdàole lǎopéngyou.He ran into an old friend.