Friend in Different Languages
Discover 'Friend' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A friend is a person we trust, with whom we share our joys and sorrows, and who brings positivity into our lives. The significance of friends and friendship transcends cultures, making it a universal concept. From ancient philosophers like Aristotle who classified friendship into three types, to modern psychologists who highlight the importance of friendships in maintaining mental health, the word 'friend' carries immense cultural importance.
Moreover, knowing the translation of 'friend' in different languages can be a fun way to explore new cultures and connect with people around the world. For instance, in Spanish, a friend is 'amigo', while in French, it's 'ami'. In Japanese, the term 'tomo' is used, and in Chinese, 'pengyou'. These translations not only offer insights into the linguistic diversity of different cultures but also remind us of the common human need for companionship and connection.
In the following list, you'll find the translation of 'friend' in over 50 languages, along with their pronunciation and interesting cultural contexts. Explore and enjoy!
Friend
Friend in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vriend | ||
| The word "vriend" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "vriend" and also means "boyfriend" or "girlfriend". | |||
| Amharic | ጓደኛ | ||
| The term ጓደኛ also indicates a 'companion' or 'neighbour'. Similar to 'companion', it connotes a less intimate, more formal relationship than another Amharic term for 'friend', ወዳጅ (wedaj). | |||
| Hausa | aboki | ||
| The word ‘Aboki’ has its roots in Kanuri, and it means ‘friend’, ‘brother’ and ‘comrade’. | |||
| Igbo | enyi | ||
| Enyi in Igbo also means a particular type of horse, typically used for warfare. | |||
| Malagasy | namana | ||
| "Namana" also means "to know" and "to introduce" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | bwenzi | ||
| The word "bwenzi" in Nyanja is a term of endearment for a close friend or family member. | |||
| Shona | shamwari | ||
| "Shamwari" also refers to a bond that goes beyong immediate relations as it incorporates neighbors who are considered as part of an extended family and community. | |||
| Somali | saaxiib | ||
| Somali word "saaxiib" also means "companion", "associate", or "ally", all words sharing the sense of partnership and mutual support. | |||
| Sesotho | motsoalle | ||
| The word "motsoalle" in Sesotho can also mean "companion" or "confidant". | |||
| Swahili | rafiki | ||
| The term 'rafiki' is closely related to 'fairika' ('a close association'), 'fahamu' ('to know each other well'), and 'faida' ('profit or benefit'). | |||
| Xhosa | umhlobo | ||
| In Xhosa, umhlobo can refer to a close friend or a lover | |||
| Yoruba | ọrẹ | ||
| Ọrẹ can also mean “one who shares” or “one who is trusted” in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | umngane | ||
| The word "umngane" also means "one who protects" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | terikɛ | ||
| Ewe | xɔlɔ̃ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inshuti | ||
| Lingala | moninga | ||
| Luganda | mukwano gwange | ||
| Sepedi | mogwera | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adamfo | ||
Friend in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | صديق | ||
| "صديق" (friend) comes from the root "صدق" (truth/honesty). | |||
| Hebrew | חבר | ||
| The Hebrew word חבר (ḥaver) can also refer to a partner, colleague, or member of a group or organization. | |||
| Pashto | ملګری | ||
| The word "ملګری" also means "companion" or "brother" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | صديق | ||
| "صديق" (friend) comes from the root "صدق" (truth/honesty). | |||
Friend in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shoku | ||
| The word "shoku" in Albanian can also refer to a sworn blood brother, a close male friend, or a member of the same tribe or clan. | |||
| Basque | laguna | ||
| Lagun is also the word used for | |||
| Catalan | amic | ||
| The word "amic" is derived from the Latin word "amicus" and has the alternate meaning of "lover" in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | prijatelju | ||
| In Serbian, 'prijatelju' is also a vocative form of the noun 'prijatelj', meaning 'friend'. | |||
| Danish | ven | ||
| The Danish word "ven" is related to the English "win" and originally referred to joy and friendship. | |||
| Dutch | vriend | ||
| The word 'vriend' derives from the Old Dutch word 'frijond', meaning 'free one' or 'one who is not a slave'. | |||
| English | friend | ||
| "Friend" comes from Old English "freond" meaning "beloved" or "affectionate." | |||
| French | ami | ||
| Frisian | freon | ||
| In Frisian, "freon" also means "lover" or "paramour". | |||
| Galician | amigo | ||
| The Galician word "amigo" can also mean "lover" or "husband". | |||
| German | freund | ||
| The German word "Freund" has a Proto-Germanic origin dating back to the Old High German term "friunt" which originally also meant "a free man". | |||
| Icelandic | vinur | ||
| The term 'vinur' in Icelandic is also used to refer to a lover or spouse, reflecting the close emotional bond shared between friends and romantic partners in the language. | |||
| Irish | cara | ||
| The word cara can also have the sense of love, kinship, or soulmate in Irish, and comes from the same root as the word 'caru', meaning 'to love'. | |||
| Italian | amico | ||
| Amico in Italian refers to both a "friend" and a "lover" similar to the French "ami" and English "friend" and "lover". | |||
| Luxembourgish | frënd | ||
| Maltese | ħabib | ||
| The word "ħabib" (friend) in Maltese can also refer to a lover or a spouse. | |||
| Norwegian | venn | ||
| The Norwegian word "venn" originally meant "lover", and is related to the English word "Venus". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | amigo | ||
| In Portuguese, "amigo" also has the meaning of "lover" or "girlfriend/boyfriend". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | caraid | ||
| The term "caraid" in Scots Gaelic refers to a close relationship akin to kinship, extending beyond simple companionship and denoting loyalty and trustworthiness. | |||
| Spanish | amigo | ||
| "Amigo,' originally meaning 'beloved' but later coming to mean simply 'friend,' was used with a diminutive in the phrase "mi pequeño queramigo," which later changed to "my querido amiguito,"" | |||
| Swedish | vän | ||
| In Swedish, "vän" also means "lover" or "beloved". | |||
| Welsh | ffrind | ||
| Ff rind "friend" means "of the head" in Welsh, suggesting a strong bond that is close to the heart and mind. | |||
Friend in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сябар | ||
| The word "сябар" also has a meaning of "relative" or "kin" in Belarusian that is now archaic in Standard Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | prijatelju | ||
| The English word 'friend' is linguistically related to the Old Serbian name 'Pribijdrag' | |||
| Bulgarian | приятелю | ||
| The word "приятелю" also means "buddy" or "pal" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | příteli | ||
| The Czech word "příteli" can also be used as a vocative form of "přítel" ("friend"), addressed directly to a male friend. | |||
| Estonian | sõber | ||
| Sõber originates from an old Indo-European word meaning “kinsman, relative by marriage or blood". | |||
| Finnish | ystävä | ||
| While the word "ystävä" originally meant "relative", the meaning shifted to "friend" around the 15th century. | |||
| Hungarian | barátom | ||
| "Barátom" is the Hungarian word for "friend", which originates from the Slavic word "brat" meaning "brother". | |||
| Latvian | draugs | ||
| The word "draugs" is also used in Latvian to refer to a confidant or companion. | |||
| Lithuanian | drauge | ||
| The word "drauge" in Lithuanian has possible origins in the Proto-Indo-European root *derg-, meaning "to hold" or "to support". | |||
| Macedonian | пријател | ||
| The word "пријател" in Macedonian has cognates in other Slavic languages, as well as in other Indo-European languages. | |||
| Polish | przyjaciel | ||
| The Polish word "przyjaciel" ultimately derives from the Slavic root _pri_ meaning "first", hence its primary meaning was "the first one" or "the one closest to one's heart". | |||
| Romanian | prietene | ||
| "Prieten" shares its root "prii" with the word "prii" meaning kindness, benevolence and it also relates to the word "primi" meaning the first, the best. | |||
| Russian | друг | ||
| The word "друг" can also mean "companion" or "comrade" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | пријатељу | ||
| The Serbian word 'пријатељу' can also refer to a male relative or acquaintance. | |||
| Slovak | kamarát | ||
| The word 'kamarát' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *komor- meaning 'friend', 'comrade' or 'compatriot' | |||
| Slovenian | prijatelj | ||
| The word 'prijatelj' has Slavic roots and can also refer to a 'comrade' or 'member of a group'. | |||
| Ukrainian | друг | ||
| "Друг" is a Proto-Slavic noun meaning "comrade", deriving from the root *drugъ. | |||
Friend in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বন্ধু | ||
| The word "বন্ধু" (bondhu) comes from the Sanskrit "bandh" meaning "to tie" or "to bind" and can also refer to a relative, ally, or associate. | |||
| Gujarati | મિત્ર | ||
| The word 'મિત્ર' derives from the Sanskrit root 'mitra,' meaning 'companion' or 'ally'. | |||
| Hindi | मित्र | ||
| The word 'मित्र' (friend) in Hindi is derived from the Sanskrit root 'mitra' meaning 'friend, ally, companion'. | |||
| Kannada | ಸ್ನೇಹಿತ | ||
| The word "ಸ್ನೇಹಿತ" is also used colloquially to refer to someone who accompanies or assists another, regardless of the closeness of their relationship. | |||
| Malayalam | സുഹൃത്ത് | ||
| In ancient Malayalam, "സുഹൃത്ത്" also referred to a particular type of weapon. | |||
| Marathi | मित्र | ||
| The Marathi word 'मित्र' (friend) is derived from the Sanskrit term 'मित्र' (sun), symbolizing warmth and companionship. | |||
| Nepali | साथी | ||
| { "meaning": "The Sanskrit root of "साथी" is "साथ," meaning "accompany," and it also has the connotation of "partner" or "companion."" } | |||
| Punjabi | ਦੋਸਤ | ||
| The word "दोस्त" (friend) in Punjabi can also refer to a lover or a spouse. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මිතුරා | ||
| The word "මිතුරා" (friend) in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word "मित्र" (friend, companion), which in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *mei- (to exchange). | |||
| Tamil | நண்பர் | ||
| The word 'நண்பர்' is derived from the root word 'நண்பு' meaning 'friendship' or 'affection', and it also means 'companion' or 'associate'. | |||
| Telugu | స్నేహితుడు | ||
| The word "స్నేహితుడు" can also mean a confidant, acquaintance, ally, or companion, depending on the context. | |||
| Urdu | دوست | ||
| The Urdu word "دوست" (friend) is derived from the Sanskrit word "duṣṭa" meaning "malicious" and "wicked." | |||
Friend in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 朋友 | ||
| 朋友 (pengyou) is sometimes used in Chinese to refer to a spouse or romantic interest, in addition to its literal translation of “friend.” | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 朋友 | ||
| 朋友, besides 'friend', also means 'partner' or 'comrade' as in '同窗好友'(classmates). | |||
| Japanese | 友達 | ||
| "友達 (tomodachi)" evolved from Chinese word "同道 (dōdō)" referring to the same path, suggesting it originally meant traveling companions. | |||
| Korean | 친구 | ||
| 친구 (chingu) comes from the Chinese word 친구 (pengyou), meaning "companion" or "associate." | |||
| Mongolian | найз | ||
| The Mongolian word "найз" is etymologically linked to the Siberian Eskimo "найн" and Evenk "най" which also mean "friend". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သူငယ်ချင်း | ||
Friend in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | teman | ||
| The word 'teman' can also refer to a peer or colleague | |||
| Javanese | kanca | ||
| The word "kanca" in Javanese also refers to a particular type of Javanese puppet. | |||
| Khmer | មិត្តភក្តិ | ||
| Lao | ເພື່ອນ | ||
| ເພື່ອນ has the alternate meaning of "assistant" in certain contexts in official Lao correspondence. | |||
| Malay | kawan | ||
| "Kawan" is an ancient word from Sanskrit which means "to cherish". | |||
| Thai | เพื่อน | ||
| Thai word "เพื่อน" (friend) comes from Sanskrit "bandhu" meaning "relative" or "family member." | |||
| Vietnamese | bạn bè | ||
| "Bạn bè" literally means "to share happiness" in Vietnamese, and is used to address acquaintances as well as close friends. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kaibigan | ||
Friend in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dost | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "dost" is also used as a term of endearment between family members, similar to "dear" in English. | |||
| Kazakh | досым | ||
| Its alternate meaning refers to a "peer", as one from the same generation. | |||
| Kyrgyz | дос | ||
| Kyrgyz "дос" is borrowed from Russian "друг", but is also used as an honorific for elders and respected people. | |||
| Tajik | дӯст | ||
| The word 'дӯст' is derived from the Proto-Indo-Iranian word '*dhuHstu-' meaning 'enemy' | |||
| Turkmen | dost | ||
| Uzbek | do'stim | ||
| The Uzbek word "do'stim" derives from the Persian word "دوست" (friend) and is also used as a term of endearment. | |||
| Uyghur | دوستى | ||
Friend in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoa aloha | ||
| The Hawaiian word for 'friend', 'hoa aloha', translates as 'beloved companion'. | |||
| Maori | hoa | ||
| The word "hoa" in Maori can also mean "family group" or "group of friends and family." | |||
| Samoan | uo | ||
| The word "uo" is also used to refer to one's siblings or cousins, reflecting the close bonds and familial nature of Samoan society. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kaibigan | ||
| The word "kaibigan" can also mean "companion" or "ally" in Tagalog. | |||
Friend in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | amigo | ||
| Guarani | angirũ | ||
Friend in International Languages
| Esperanto | amiko | ||
| The Esperanto word “amiko” originally meant “lover” in Ido, from which Esperanto borrowed it. | |||
| Latin | amica | ||
| "Amica" and "amicus" have a common origin with "amare" which means "to love". | |||
Friend in Others Languages
| Greek | φίλος | ||
| "Philos" (love, affinity, or friendship) and its cognates have a wide range of connotations that are not captured by its English counterpart "friend." | |||
| Hmong | phooj ywg | ||
| The word "phooj ywg" can also mean "companion" or "associate" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | heval | ||
| The term 'heval' is also used to refer to a 'comrade' or 'ally', particularly in a political or revolutionary context. | |||
| Turkish | arkadaş | ||
| The word "arkadaş" comes from the Persian word "yar" which means "companion", and also has the alternate meaning of "lover" in some Turkish dialects. | |||
| Xhosa | umhlobo | ||
| In Xhosa, umhlobo can refer to a close friend or a lover | |||
| Yiddish | פרייַנד | ||
| The Yiddish word "פרייַנד" is also used to refer to a boyfriend or girlfriend, a more specific meaning than the English word "friend". | |||
| Zulu | umngane | ||
| The word "umngane" also means "one who protects" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | বন্ধু | ||
| Aymara | amigo | ||
| Bhojpuri | दोस्त के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އެކުވެރިޔާއެވެ | ||
| Dogri | यार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kaibigan | ||
| Guarani | angirũ | ||
| Ilocano | gayyem | ||
| Krio | padi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هاوڕێ | ||
| Maithili | मित्र | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯔꯨꯞ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | ṭhianpa | ||
| Oromo | hiriyaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସାଙ୍ଗ | ||
| Quechua | amigo | ||
| Sanskrit | मित्रम् | ||
| Tatar | дус | ||
| Tigrinya | ዓርኪ | ||
| Tsonga | munghana | ||