Japanese symbol for “buddy”
親友
しんゆう
Romaji: shin'yuu
close friend; bosom friend; buddy; crony
In Japanese, buddy is 親友, read しんゆう (shin'yuu).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n close friend; bosom friend; buddy; crony; chum
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “buddy”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 野郎 | やろう yarou | guy; fellow; chap |
| 君 | きみ kimi | you; buddy; pal |
| 大統領 | だいとうりょう daitouryou | big man; boss; buddy |
| バディ | バディ badi | buddy; partner |
| 兄さん | にいさん niisan | young man; buddy; fella |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 母親 | ははおや hahaoya | mother |
| 父親 | ちちおや chichioya | father |
| 両親 | りょうしん ryoushin | parents; both parents |
| 親子 | おやこ oyako | parent and child |
| 親族 | しんぞく shinzoku | relative; relation; kin |
| 友達 | ともだち tomodachi | friend; companion |
| 友人 | ゆうじん yuujin | friend |
| 友情 | ゆうじょう yuujou | friendship; fellowship; camaraderie |
See also: Chinese symbol for “buddy”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.