Friendship is a universal concept that is cherished and celebrated by people all over the world. Whether it's sharing laughs, enjoying common interests or simply being there for each other during tough times, friends have a special place in our lives.
What is interesting is that the word "friend" and its meaning are expressed in many different ways across different languages and cultures.
These examples show just how varied and nuanced the concept of friendship can be, depending on the language and culture in which it is expressed.
- For example, in English, a friend is typically defined as someone who shares a bond of affection, trust and loyalty.
- However, in Spanish, the word for friend is "amigo" which also implies a sense of warmth and closeness, but can also be used more casually to refer to acquaintances.
- In Japanese, the word for friend is "tomodachi" which literally translates to "companion of the soul". This reflects the importance of deep emotional connections in Japanese culture, where friendship is seen as a lifelong commitment.
- Similarly, in Arabic, the word for friend is "sadiq" which means "one who speaks the truth". This highlights the importance of honesty and integrity in friendship, as well as the idea that true friends are always there to offer guidance and support.
- In Mandarin Chinese, the word for friend is "péngyǒu" which literally means "friend-friend". This reflects the importance of mutual respect and understanding in Chinese culture, where friendship is seen as a vital part of social harmony.
But despite these differences, the underlying idea of friendship remains universal: it is a bond based on mutual respect, trust and support that enriches our lives in countless ways, helps us to feel connected, understood and valued, and reminds us that we are not alone in this world.
How to say 'friend' in 87 different languages
Here are 87 ways to say friend in different languages (in alphabetical order):
- Afrikaans = vriend
- Albanian = mik
- Amharic = ግብር፣ ልጅ
- Arabic = صديق, sadiq
- Armenian: ընկեր, ynger
- Aymara = masi
- Azerbaijani = dost
- Basque = lagun
- Belarusan = сябар, siabar (“syahbahr”)
- Bengali = বন্ধু, bandhu
- Bosnian = prijatelj
- Bulgarian = приятел, priyatelyu
- Cantonese = pang-jau (“pan-yow”)
- Catalan = amic/amiga
- Cebuano = higala
- Cherokee = unalii (“oo-nah-lee-ee”)
- Croatian = prijatelj
- Czech = přítel
- Danish = ven
- Dutch = vriend
- Esperanto = amiko
- Estonian = sober
- Filipino = kaibigan
- Finnish = ystävä (“oo-stah-vah”)
- French = ami/amie (“ah-me”)
- Galician = amigo
- Georgian = მეგობრები, megobari
- German = Freund/Freundin
- Greek = φίλος/φίλη, filos (“fee-yohs”)
- Gujarati: મિત્ર (mitra)
- Haitian Creole: zanmi
- Hausa = aboki
- Hawaiian = hoaloha/makamaka
- Hebrew = חבר, chaver/chaverah (“shah-vehr”)
- Hindi = दोस्त, mitr (“mit-ruh”)
- Hmong = phooj ywg
- Hungarian = barát
- Icelandic = vinur
- Igbo = nwanne
- Indonesian = teman
- Irish Gaelic = cara (“kor-ah”)
- Italian = amico/amica
- Japanese = 友達, tomodachi
- Javanese= sahabat
- Kannada = ಸ್ನೇಹಿತ (sneehita)
- Kazakh = достар (dostar)
- Khmer = មិត្តភាព, mittpheap (“muht-pey-uhp”)
- Korean = 친구, chingu
- Kurdish = heval
- Kyrgyz = достор, dostor
- Lao = ພື້ນເຈົ້າ, phueng chao
- Latin = amicus
- Latvian = draugs/draudzene
- Lithuanian = draugas/draugė
- Luxembourgish = Frënd/Frëndin
- Macedonian = пријател, prijatel
- Malagasy= namana
- Malay = kawan
- Malayalam = സൗഹൃദം (sauhridam)
- Maltese= ħabib/habiba
- Mandarin (Chinese) = 朋友, péng yǒu (“pong yoh”)
- Maori = hoa
- Marathi = मित्र (mitra)
- Mongolian = найз, naiz
- Nepali = साथी, sathi
- Norwegian = venn
- Polish = przyjaciel (“pshey-ah-szey-ehl”)
- Portuguese = amigo/amiga
- Punjabi = dōsata
- Romanian = prieten
- Russian = друг, droog/padrooga
- Samoan = uō
- Serbian = prijatelj
- Sinhala = miturā
- Slovak = kamarát
- Slovene = prijatelj
- Spanish = amigo/amiga
- Swahili = rafiki
- Swedish = vän
- Tamil = naṇpar (“nahn-puhr”)
- Thai = pʉ̂an sà-nìt
- Turkish = arkadaş
- Ukrainian = druh
- Uzbek = do'stim
- Vietnamese = bạn bè (“baht-bay”)
- Xhosa = umhlobo
- Zulu = umngane
No matter what language(s) you speak or where you come from, take the time to appreciate the friendships in your life and the unique ways in which they enrich your experience of the world.
Keep Your Friends Close Even When You're Apart
Have your friends around the world sign your My Friends and I book to keep them close even when you're apart. Once in your book, they're just "a page away" and when you're missing them, just grab your book, open their pages, and relive all those amazing times you had together.
For some extra fun, ask your friends to fill out your book in their native language!
Don't have a My Friends and I book yet? Get one right here on our website or grab one next time you shop on Amazon..