Meaning
友谊
yǒu yì
Friendship
- 友
- friend
- 谊
- friendship, goodwill
The standard word for friendship; good for matching pieces.
Friendship in Chinese
The Chinese word for friendship is 友谊 (yǒu yì). The standard word for friendship; good for matching pieces. In traditional characters it is written 友誼.
友谊
yǒu yì
Friendship
What 友谊 means.
友 means friend and 谊 the bond of friendship. The oldest form of 友 showed two hands working together.
- 友
- friend
- 谊
- friendship, goodwill
Simplified and traditional
友谊
友誼
Both are correct and mean the same. Traditional 友誼 keeps the older, fuller shape that calligraphy grew up with; simplified 友谊 is what most Chinese readers use today. Our seal and clerical styles write it in the traditional form.
Pick the shade of meaning.
Chinese often has more than one word where English has one. Here is how they differ.
Meaning
友
yǒu
Friend
- 友
- friend
A single character meaning friend.
About friendship in Chinese
How do you write friendship in Chinese?
Friendship is 友谊 in Chinese, pronounced yǒu yì. Friendship 友 means “friend”, 谊 means “friendship, goodwill”.
How do you pronounce 友谊?
Say yǒu (third tone, dipping), yì (fourth tone, falling). Mandarin tones change meaning, so it is worth listening to a native speaker once.
Is 友谊 different in traditional Chinese?
Yes. The traditional form is 友誼, used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and classical calligraphy; 友谊 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore. Both are correct.
What other Chinese words mean friendship?
友 (yǒu): Friend A single character meaning friend.
Is 友谊 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes, it is a real, everyday Chinese word rather than a machine translation, so Chinese readers will understand it. Keep the characters in their order, top to bottom or left to right, and never mirrored. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.