友

yǒu

又 + 𠂇

Definitions

yǒu (noun) friend

Etymology

Pictograph of two hands together to convey the meaning "friend". 又 also represents the sound.

About

友 is formed by two 又 (right hand) pictographs placed together, creating a vivid image of hands clasping in friendship and cooperation. This directly conveys the core meaning "friend" or "companion". The character appears widely in compounds for friendliness, alliances, and amicable ties, reflecting the reciprocal nature of the joined hands. The repeated 又 also supplies a phonetic clue, indicating the pronunciation.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Jin dynasty (266-420 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他是我的好友。

Tā shì wǒ de hǎo yǒu.

He is my good friend.

我们都很友好。

Wǒmen dōu hěn yǒuhǎo.

We are all very friendly.

友情需要珍惜。

Yǒuqíng xūyào zhēnxī.

Friendship needs to be cherished.

他们的友谊很深厚。

Tāmen de yǒuyì hěn shēnhòu.

Their friendship is very deep.

好朋友应该互相帮助。

Hǎo péngyou yīnggāi hùxiāng bāngzhù.

Good friends should help each other.

友好的微笑能化解矛盾。

Yǒuhǎo de wēixiào néng huàjiě máodùn.

A friendly smile can resolve conflicts.

如果你对朋友真诚，朋友也会对你真诚。

Rúguǒ nǐ duì péngyou zhēnchéng, péngyou yě huì duì nǐ zhēnchéng.

If you are sincere to friends, friends will also be sincere to you.

在全球化背景下，国与国之间的友好合作至关重要。

Zài quánqiúhuà bèijǐng xià, guó yǔ guó zhī jiān de yǒuhǎo hézuò zhìguān zhòngyào.

In the context of globalization, friendly cooperation between countries is crucial.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 又

Component: 𠂇

Example Words