Understanding how to refer to and talk about friends is crucial for building relationships in Korea. This guide covers the essential Korean word for “friend,” various related terms, and useful phrases for discussing friendships, helping you connect more naturally with Korean speakers.
Table Of Content
Core Word for Friend
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Expression: 친구
Pronunciation: chin-gu
Meaning: Friend (This is the most common and general term for friend, often implying someone of the same age.)
Different Types of Friends
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Expression: 친한 친구
Pronunciation: chin-han chin-gu
Meaning: Close friend -
Expression: 동갑 친구
Pronunciation: dong-gap chin-gu
Meaning: Friend of the same age -
Expression: 오랜 친구 / 옛날 친구
Pronunciation: o-raen chin-gu / yet-nal chin-gu
Meaning: Old friend (long-time friend) -
Expression: 학교 친구
Pronunciation: hak-gyo chin-gu
Meaning: School friend -
Expression: 직장 동료
Pronunciation: jik-jang dong-ryo
Meaning: Colleague / Coworker (Often used instead of ‘friend’ in a work context) -
Expression: 남자 사람 친구 (남사친)
Pronunciation: nam-ja sa-ram chin-gu (nam-sa-chin)
Meaning: Male friend (casual slang, emphasizing non-romantic relationship) -
Expression: 여자 사람 친구 (여사친)
Pronunciation: yeo-ja sa-ram chin-gu (yeo-sa-chin)
Meaning: Female friend (casual slang, emphasizing non-romantic relationship) -
Expression: 단짝 친구
Pronunciation: dan-jjak chin-gu
Meaning: Best friend / Bosom buddy -
Expression: 소꿉친구
Pronunciation: so-kkup-chin-gu
Meaning: Childhood friend -
Expression: 펜팔 친구
Pronunciation: pen-pal chin-gu
Meaning: Pen pal -
Expression: 외국인 친구
Pronunciation: oe-gu-gin chin-gu
Meaning: Foreign friend
Talking About Friends
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Expression: 친구를 사귀다
Pronunciation: chin-gu-reul sa-gwi-da
Meaning: To make friends -
Expression: 제 친구예요.
Pronunciation: je chin-gu-ye-yo
Meaning: This is my friend. -
Expression: 우리는 친구예요.
Pronunciation: u-ri-neun chin-gu-ye-yo
Meaning: We are friends. -
Expression: 친구가 많아요.
Pronunciation: chin-gu-ga ma-na-yo
Meaning: I have many friends. -
Expression: 친구가 별로 없어요.
Pronunciation: chin-gu-ga byeol-lo eop-seo-yo
Meaning: I don’t have many friends. -
Expression: 그 사람은 제 가장 친한 친구예요.
Pronunciation: geu sa-ra-meun je ga-jang chin-han chin-gu-ye-yo
Meaning: That person is my best friend. -
Expression: 친구를 소개할게요.
Pronunciation: chin-gu-reul so-gae-hal-ge-yo
Meaning: I’ll introduce my friend. -
Expression: 친구랑 같이 놀아요.
Pronunciation: chin-gu-rang ga-chi no-ra-yo
Meaning: I hang out with my friend. -
Expression: 친구를 만나러 가요.
Pronunciation: chin-gu-reul man-na-reo ga-yo
Meaning: I’m going to meet a friend. -
Expression: 우리는 초등학교 때부터 친구였어요.
Pronunciation: u-ri-neun cho-deung-hak-gyo ttae-bu-teo chin-gu-yeo-sseo-yo
Meaning: We’ve been friends since elementary school. -
Expression: 새로운 친구를 만들고 싶어요.
Pronunciation: sae-ro-un chin-gu-reul man-deul-go si-peo-yo
Meaning: I want to make new friends.
Interacting with Friends
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Expression: 안녕! (반말)
Pronunciation: an-nyeong! (ban-mal)
Meaning: Hi! / Bye! (Casual, used with close friends) -
Expression: 잘 지냈어?
Pronunciation: jal ji-nae-sseo?
Meaning: How have you been? (Casual) -
Expression: 뭐 해?
Pronunciation: mwo hae?
Meaning: What are you doing? (Casual) -
Expression: 밥 먹었어?
Pronunciation: bap meo-geo-sseo?
Meaning: Did you eat? (Common casual greeting) -
Expression: 나중에 봐!
Pronunciation: na-jung-e bwa!
Meaning: See you later! (Casual) -
Expression: 연락할게.
Pronunciation: yeol-la-kal-ge
Meaning: I’ll contact you. / I’ll be in touch. (Casual) -
Expression: 시간 있어?
Pronunciation: si-gan i-sseo?
Meaning: Do you have time? (Casual) -
Expression: 같이 놀자!
Pronunciation: ga-chi nol-ja!
Meaning: Let’s hang out! (Casual) -
Expression: 고마워.
Pronunciation: go-ma-wo
Meaning: Thanks. (Casual) -
Expression: 미안해.
Pronunciation: mi-an-hae
Meaning: Sorry. (Casual) -
Expression: 보고 싶다.
Pronunciation: bo-go sip-da
Meaning: I miss you. (Casual) -
Expression: 힘내!
Pronunciation: him-nae!
Meaning: Cheer up! / Stay strong! (Casual)
Korean Culture Notes
The Importance of Age: In Korea, age plays a significant role in relationships. The term 친구 (chingu) is most comfortably used between people born in the same year. While you can be friends with people of different ages, the way you address them and interact might differ based on the age hierarchy.
Addressing Older/Younger Friends: If a friend is older, even by just one year, it’s common to use terms like 형 (hyeong – older brother for males), 누나 (nuna – older sister for males), 오빠 (oppa – older brother for females), or 언니 (eonni – older sister for females) instead of their name. Younger friends might be addressed by name, often followed by 야 (ya) or 아 (a). Using 친구 (chingu) directly with someone significantly older or younger can sometimes feel awkward unless you are very close and have established that dynamic.
Group Dynamics: Friendships in Korea often involve groups. Being part of a group of friends (친구들 – chin-gu-deul) is common, and activities are frequently done together. Loyalty and support within the friend group are highly valued.
Casual Speech (반말 – Banmal): Close friends, especially those of the same age or younger, typically use casual language (반말 – banmal) with each other. Using formal language (존댓말 – jondaetmal) can create distance. However, switching to 반말 should usually happen naturally or after mutual agreement.
Real Conversation Example
Situation: Minjun (A) and Sora (B) meet at a language exchange cafe and discover they have a mutual friend.
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Expression: A: 안녕하세요, 저는 민준이라고 해요.
Pronunciation: an-nyeong-ha-se-yo, jeo-neun min-jun-i-ra-go hae-yo.
Meaning: Hello, my name is Minjun. -
Expression: B: 안녕하세요, 저는 소라예요. 만나서 반가워요.
Pronunciation: an-nyeong-ha-se-yo, jeo-neun so-ra-ye-yo. man-na-seo ban-ga-wo-yo.
Meaning: Hello, I’m Sora. Nice to meet you. -
Expression: A: 혹시… 지수 씨 아세요? 사진에서 본 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: hok-si… ji-su ssi a-se-yo? sa-jin-e-seo bon geot ga-ta-yo.
Meaning: By any chance… do you know Jisoo? I think I saw you in a photo. -
Expression: B: 네? 아, 네! 지수 씨는 제 친한 친구예요! 어떻게 아세요?
Pronunciation: ne? a, ne! ji-su ssi-neun je chin-han chin-gu-ye-yo! eo-tteo-ke a-se-yo?
Meaning: Yes? Oh, yes! Jisoo is my close friend! How do you know her? -
Expression: A: 지수 씨도 제 친구예요. 저희 대학교 동기거든요. 세상 참 좁네요!
Pronunciation: ji-su ssi-do je chin-gu-ye-yo. jeo-hui dae-hak-gyo dong-gi-geo-deun-yo. se-sang cham jom-ne-yo!
Meaning: Jisoo is my friend too. We were university classmates. It’s such a small world! -
Expression: B: 와, 정말요? 신기하다! 그럼 우리도 친구네요!
Pronunciation: wa, jeong-mal-lyo? sin-gi-ha-da! geu-reom u-ri-do chin-gu-ne-yo!
Meaning: Wow, really? That’s amazing! Then we’re friends too!
Practice Tips
Learning these words and phrases is just the beginning! Try describing your own friends using terms like 친한 친구 or 오랜 친구. If you have Korean friends, practice using casual greetings like 안녕 and asking 밥 먹었어?. You can also practice introducing friends using 제 친구예요. The more you use these expressions in context, the more natural they’ll become. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be talking about your friends in Korean with ease!~
