The Meaning of tomodachi [友達] In Japanese

友達
ともだち
Romaji: tomodachi N5

What does 友達 mean?

Translation and Meaning

friend, friends

Definition

What does 友達 mean? It denotes a friend—a person you have a friendly relationship with and choose to spend time with. In everyday Japanese, it can refer to a single close friend or a small circle of friends, typically used in casual contexts.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Casual term for a friend or close acquaintance; widely used in everyday speech
  • Can indicate multiple friends when the context implies plurality

Composition

  • 友: core meaning is friendship and social connection
  • 達: serves as a plural/collective suffix here, often read たち (tachi); together they convey ‘friends’ or a circle of friends

Usage

Used in casual conversation, social media, and informal writing to refer to a friend or a small group of friends. It contrasts with 友人, which is more formal or written; in contexts like school or among peers, 友達 is common; ownership and relationships are shown with 私の or 君の before the noun.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: visualize two people as the two small strokes in 友 forming a bond, and imagine 達 as a path they walk together to reach each other; this helps recall tomodachi and the idea of a group of friends.

Variations

  • 友人 (yuujin) — formal or literate term for a friend
  • 知人 (chijin) — acquaintance
  • 仲間 (nakama) — companion or member of a group

Example Phrases

  • 三日ぶりに友達に会えて嬉しい、カフェで話した。
    Mikka buri ni tomodachi ni aete ureshii, kafe de hanashita.
    After three days, I was happy to meet my friend; we talked at a cafe.
    Lista:
    • 三日ぶりに (mikka buri ni) – after three days
    • 友達に (tomodachi ni) – to my friend
    • 会えて (aete) – able to meet
    • 嬉しい (ureshii) – happy
    • カフェで (kafe de) – at a cafe
    • 話した (hanashita) – talked
    Core grammar: 「三日ぶりに」 expresses a time gap meaning ‘after three days’ using ぶり; 三日 is read みっか.
  • 学校で英雄のような友達に偶然会った。
    Gakkō de eiyū no yō na tomodachi ni guuzen atta.
    I happened to meet a hero-like friend at school.
    Lista:
    • 学校で (gakkō de) – at school
    • 英雄 (eiyū) – hero
    • の (no) – of
    • ような (yō na) – like
    • 友達 (tomodachi) – friend
    • に (ni) – to
    • 偶然 (guuzen) – by chance
    • 会った (atta) – met
    「英雄のような」 means ‘hero-like’; 「英雄」 means hero, and 「のような」 attaches to a noun to show resemblance.
  • 私は 学校で 苦しむ 友達を 励ます
    Watashi wa gakkō de kurushimu tomodachi o hagemasu
    I encourage a friend who is suffering at school.
    Lista:
    • 私は (watashi wa) – I
    • 学校で (gakkō de) – at school
    • 苦しむ (kurushimu) – to suffer
    • 友達を (tomodachi o) – my friend
    • 励ます (hagemasu) – to encourage
    Here, 「苦しむ」 is used in a relative clause before 友達, forming 苦しむ友達 = ‘a friend who suffers’.
  • 原爆についての話を学校の授業で友達と慎重に話した。
    Genbaku ni tsuite no hanashi o gakkō no jūgyō de tomodachi to shinchō ni hanashita.
    I carefully talked with a friend in class about the atomic bomb.
    Lista:
    • 原爆 (genbaku) – atomic bomb
    • についての話を (ni tsuite no hanashi o) – talk about
    • 学校の (gakkō no) – school’s
    • 授業で (jūgyō de) – in class
    • 友達と (tomodachi to) – with a friend
    • 慎重に (shinchō ni) – carefully
    • 話した (hanashita) – talked
    Core grammar: 「についての話を」 means ‘to talk about ~’; here the topic is 「原爆」.
  • 今日は友達と公園で楽しく過ごした。
    Kyou wa tomodachi to kouen de tanoshiku sugoshita.
    I had a great time with my friends at the park today.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (Kyou wa) – time expression referring to ‘today’
    • 友達と (tomodachi to) – with friends
    • 公園で (kouen de) – at the park
    • 楽しく (tanoshiku) – happily
    • 過ごした (sugoshita) – spent
    楽しく is the adverbial form of 「楽しい」, used to modify 過ごす.
友達