친구
Grammar & Usage
noun
neutral
How it works
친구 (chingu) is a noun meaning 'friend'. It can refer to a friend of any gender or age, although it is most commonly used among peers or those of similar age. For older or more respected acquaintances, different terms might be used.
Sample sentences
저는 친구와 영화를 봤어요.
I watched a movie with my friend.
제일 친한 친구는 누구예요?
Who is your best friend?
새로운 친구를 사귀고 싶어요.
I want to make new friends.
Quick facts
politeness:While '친구' itself is a neutral term, the level of politeness in speaking to a friend depends on the relationship and context. Close friends often use informal (반말, banmal) speech with each other. When referring to someone else's friend, or in more formal contexts, honorifics or polite speech endings (존댓말, jondaetmal) might be used with verbs, but the noun '친구' remains the same.
age_consideration:It's typically used for people of similar age. For someone older, even if close, '형 (hyeong)' for a male older brother/friend, '오빠 (oppa)' for a female's older brother/friend, '누나 (nuna)' for a male's older sister/friend, or '언니 (eonni)' for a female's older sister/friend, or a title like '선배 (seonbae)' for a senior, might be used instead of or in addition to '친구'.
Mnemonic
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Example
저는 친구와 영화를 봤어요.
I watched a movie with my friend.
제일 친한 친구는 누구예요?
Who is your best friend?
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