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    Chinese Grammar

    The noun 友 (yǒu) for "friend"

    Topic & Focus

    Explanation

    友 (yǒu) is a bound morpheme meaning "friend." Unlike the full word 朋友 (péngyou), 友 cannot stand alone and is typically combined with other characters to form compound words such as 女友 (girlfriend), 男友 (boyfriend), or 友好 (friendly).

    Examples

    • 她是我的室友，也是多年的好友。

      tā shì wǒ de shìyǒu, yě shì duōnián de hǎoyǒu.

      She is my roommate and also a good friend of many years.

    • 他是一个值得信赖的战友和挚友。

      tā shì yī gè zhíde xìnlài de zhànyǒu hé zhìyǒu.

      He is a trustworthy comrade-in-arms and close friend.

    • 校友会每年都会组织一次聚会。

      xiàoyǒuhuì měinián dōu huì zǔzhī yī cì jùhuì.

      The alumni association organizes a gathering every year.

    The noun 友 (yǒu) for "friend" | Chinese Grammar