Tomodachi, the default
Tomodachi is neutral, natural in casual and polite speech, and covers most friendships. You use it to talk about going out with friends, to introduce a friend, and to describe how you know someone.
The one place it can sound off is when used to ask someone to become your friend. Adults rarely frame friendship as a request, so the softer phrase below is more natural.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 友達 | tomodachi | Friend, friends |
| 友達と映画を見ました。 | Tomodachi to eiga o mimashita. | I watched a film with a friend. |
| 日本人の友達がいます。 | Nihonjin no tomodachi ga imasu. | I have Japanese friends. |
| 仲良くしてくださいね。 | Naka yoku shite kudasai ne. | I hope we can be friends. |
| 友達になれてよかった。 | Tomodachi ni narete yokatta. | I am glad we became friends. |
Yūjin: the formal friend
Yūjin means the same thing as tomodachi but sits in a more formal register. It is the word for wedding speeches, business conversations, formal introductions and written Japanese.
Using tomodachi in a formal speech is not a mistake, but it sounds casual, the way saying my buddy would in an English toast.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 友人 | yūjin | Friend (formal) |
| 大学時代の友人です。 | Daigaku jidai no yūjin desu. | He is a friend from my university days. |
| 友人の結婚式に出席します。 | Yūjin no kekkonshiki ni shusseki shimasu. | I am attending a friend's wedding. |
| 友人代表としてご挨拶を申し上げます。 | Yūjin daihyō to shite go-aisatsu o mōshiagemasu. | I would like to say a few words on behalf of the couple's friends. |
Shinyū: a best friend
Shinyū means a close or best friend, someone you trust deeply. It is a stronger word than best friend often is in English, and people tend not to use it for someone they met recently.
If you want to say someone is a very good friend without the full weight of shinyū, ichiban no tomodachi or sugoku naka ga ii tomodachi are softer choices.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 親友 | shinyū | Best friend, close friend |
| 高校からの親友です。 | Kōkō kara no shinyū desu. | She has been my best friend since high school. |
| 一番の友達 | ichiban no tomodachi | My best friend (softer) |
| すごく仲がいいです。 | Sugoku naka ga ii desu. | We are really close. |
Nakama and the words for other bonds
Nakama describes people connected by something they do together: a team, a hobby group, a workplace, a band. It often appears as a compound after the shared activity.
Other words cover relationships English would also just call friends: childhood friends, acquaintances, classmates, and parents who know each other through their children.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 仲間 | nakama | Companions, teammates, people in the same group |
| 仕事仲間 | shigoto nakama | Work friends, colleagues you are close to |
| 飲み仲間 | nomi nakama | Drinking buddies |
| 仲間に入れて。 | Nakama ni irete. | Let me join in. |
| 幼なじみ | osananajimi | A childhood friend |
| 知り合い | shiriai | An acquaintance |
| 同級生 | dōkyūsei | A classmate, someone in the same school year |
| ママ友 | mama-tomo | A mother who is a friend through your children |
| ダチ | dachi | Buddy (rough slang) |
Introducing a friend
Introductions follow a simple pattern: kochira wa, the relationship, no, then the name. Adding where you know them from gives the other person something to ask about.
Tachi after a name means that person and the people with them, which is how you refer to a group of friends by one member's name.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| こちらは友達の山田さんです。 | Kochira wa tomodachi no Yamada-san desu. | This is my friend Yamada. |
| 大学の友達です。 | Daigaku no tomodachi desu. | He is a friend from university. |
| 友達の友達です。 | Tomodachi no tomodachi desu. | She is a friend of a friend. |
| 前の会社の同僚です。 | Mae no kaisha no dōryō desu. | He is a colleague from my previous company. |
| 田中さんたちと会いました。 | Tanaka-san-tachi to aimashita. | I met Tanaka and the others. |
Just friends
When someone assumes a relationship, tada no tomodachi, just a friend, is the standard clarification. Tsukiatte nai, we are not dating, makes it explicit.
There is also a well-known expression for the in-between stage: more than friends but not yet a couple.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ただの友達だよ。 | Tada no tomodachi da yo. | We are just friends. |
| 付き合ってないよ。 | Tsukiatte nai yo. | We are not going out. |
| 友達として好きです。 | Tomodachi to shite suki desu. | I like you as a friend. |
| 友達以上恋人未満 | tomodachi ijō koibito miman | More than friends, less than lovers |
Choosing the word
The choice depends on formality and the kind of bond. This table summarises when each word fits.
| Word | Closeness | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| Tomodachi (friend) | Any friend | Everyday conversation, casual and polite |
| Yūjin (friend, formal) | Any friend | Speeches, business, writing |
| Shinyū (best friend) | Very close | Talking about someone you trust deeply |
| Nakama (companions) | Shared activity or goal | Teams, hobbies, work, anime |
| Shiriai (acquaintance) | Not close | Someone you know but are not friends with |
| Dachi (buddy) | Close | Rough slang to recognise, not copy |
Talking about the people in your life comes up naturally in conversation with your AI Sensei, and the vocabulary and corrections in the session report help you see whether you are defaulting to tomodachi where yūjin or shiriai would be sharper.