Sentence #3378090 from Tatoeba · translation adapted
How 朋友 is built
Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.
朋péngfriend
月moon · yuè
月moon · yuè
Memory aidIn the oldest writing, two strings of shells side by side. Two 月 side by side are easy to picture as two friends.
友yǒufriendlight in 朋友
友 is a single shape of 4 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.
Memory aidTwo hands 又 joined: friendship.
How to write 朋友
朋 8 strokes · 友 4 strokes
Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.
Stroke order chart for 朋友 (péngyou). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.
朋友 (péngyou) means “friend”. It is an HSK 1 word, so it is one of the words learners meet early.
Say it péngyou: péng with a 2nd tone, then you with a neutral tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
Yes. 朋友 is written the same way in Simplified and Traditional characters.
Use 个 (gè) or 位 (wèi). For example, one friend is 一个朋友 (yí ge péngyou).
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type pengyou with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 朋友 from the suggestions. Typing pengyou into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
朋友 is an HSK 1 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.
Turn words into conversations
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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.
朋péng2nd tone, rising
友youneutral tone, light and short
