友人（ゆうじん、yuujin）
- friend

The Japanese word 友人 (ゆうじん - *yuujin*) means "friend" or "friends." It refers to someone you have a close relationship with, someone you enjoy spending time with, and someone you share mutual trust and affection with. It implies a deeper connection than a casual acquaintance. ⚫︎ It is a common and versatile term used to describe friendships of various types. ⚫︎ The meaning often encompasses feelings of warmth, support, and shared experiences.

⚫︎ 私には親しい友人がいます。 Translation: I have a close friend. ⚫︎ 週末は友人と映画を見に行きます。 Translation: I will go to see a movie with my friend(s) on the weekend. ⚫︎ 彼女は私の人生のよき友人です。 Translation: She is a good friend in my life.

⚫︎ 友人 can be used in both formal and informal situations, though the level of formality might influence the tone of the sentence. ⚫︎ When speaking to a friend, it’s perfectly natural to use 友人. ⚫︎ When talking about a friend to someone else, you can use 友人 as well. ⚫︎ The word is typically used to refer to someone of the same age group or social standing, but this is not a strict rule. ⚫︎ If you are talking to someone about a friend you introduce, you can use 私の友人です to describe them.

⚫︎ 友人 is primarily written using the kanji 友人, but it’s always pronounced ゆうじん. ⚫︎ The reading ゆうじん is in hiragana. ⚫︎ There are no variations in the okurigana.

⚫︎ 友達（ともだち - *tomodachi*): A more general term for "friend." It can refer to friends of varying degrees of closeness. 友達 is generally more common in everyday conversation. ⚫︎ 親友（しんゆう - *shinyuu*): "Close friend" or "best friend." Implies a very deep and intimate friendship. ⚫︎ 仲間（なかま - *nakama*): "Comrade," "fellow," or "associate." Often refers to friends who share a common interest or activity, like a workmate.

⚫︎ 敵（てき - *teki*): "Enemy." ⚫︎ 知らない人（しらないひと - *shiranai hito*): "Stranger" or "someone you don't know."

彼は私の大学時代の友人で、今でもよく連絡を取り合っています。 ・Translation: He is a friend from my university days, and we still keep in touch. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates the lasting nature of a 友人ship.

私は新しい職場にもすぐに友人ができました。 ・Translation: I quickly made friends at my new workplace. ・Explanation: This sentence shows how to use 友人 in a sentence describing the establishment of a new friendship.

The word 友人 is a compound word. 友 (とも - *tomo*) means "friend" and 人 (ひと - *hito*) means "person." Thus, 友人 literally translates to "friend person," highlighting the nature of a friendship based on human connection and a relationship with a person.