What does 친구 (chingu) mean?
- 친구chingu
Friend
Fine in most situations
친구 (chingu) means "friend." In Korea it usually means a friend who is the same age as you, while older friends are called by titles like 언니, 오빠, 형, or 누나.
Where it comes from
친구 comes from Chinese characters: 親 (close, intimate) and 舊 (old). So it is roughly an "old, close" companion.
How to use 친구
Age matters a lot in Korean friendships. People born in the same year are naturally 친구 and can talk casually with each other. With someone older, Koreans usually use a family title instead of calling them 친구.
You can also use it like "buddy" to call someone, as 친구야, and it appears inside words like 남자친구 (boyfriend) and 여자친구 (girlfriend).
Saying "우리 친구 하자" ("let's be friends") is a common, sweet way to suggest becoming friends, often used when two people find out they are the same age.
Examples
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Introducing someone at a party
Telling your mom what you did
Finding out you were born the same year
Other ways to say it
| Korean | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|
| 친구야 | Hey, friend! (calling) | Calling form. |
| 친구들 | friends | Plural. |
| 남자친구 / 남친 | boyfriend | 남친 is the short, casual form. |
| 여자친구 / 여친 | girlfriend | 여친 is the short, casual form. |
Questions learners ask
Can an older person be my chingu?
In casual English you would call them a friend, but in Korean you would usually call them 언니, 오빠, 형, or 누나 instead of 친구, especially to their face.
How do you say boyfriend and girlfriend in Korean?
남자친구 (boyfriend) and 여자친구 (girlfriend). In casual talk they shorten to 남친 and 여친.