友 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its heart, 友 means friend. You'll meet it in two main roles: as part of the super-common word 友達 (ともだち, "friend") that you'll use almost daily, and as a building block inside more formal two-kanji words like 友人 (ゆうじん, "friend"), 親友 (しんゆう, "best friend"), and 友情 (ゆうじょう, "friendship"). Whenever you spot 友 in a word, you can bet it has something to do with friendship or companions — a nice head start on the meaning.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | とも | 友達 (friend), 友 (friend — literary) |
| on'yomi | ユウ | 友人 (friend), 親友 (best friend), 友情 (friendship), 学友 (schoolmate) |
Here's a rule of thumb that works for most kanji, not just this one: the kun'yomi (とも) shows up in the everyday word 友達 and when the kanji stands alone, while the on'yomi (ユウ) appears inside the more formal two-kanji compounds. So 友達 uses とも, but 友人 and 親友 use ユウ. Spotting that pattern early will help you guess readings for words you haven't even studied yet.
One word worth a closer look: 友達 is built from 友 (とも) plus the suffix 達 (たち / だち), which usually marks a plural or group. Even so, 友達 is the standard everyday word for a single "friend" too — don't overthink it.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 4, written top to bottom and left to right — start with the sweeping stroke across the top, then build the lower part.
- Radical: the radical of 友 is 又 (またあるいは "again / hand"). The 又 shape originally pictured a hand, and you can think of 友 as two hands reaching toward each other — friends helping one another out.
Recognizing 又 is genuinely useful: it turns up as a "hand" element inside several other kanji, so noticing it here gives you a building block you'll reuse later.
Common words using 友
Notice the reading split in action: the everyday 友達 takes とも, while every formal compound (友人, 親友, 友情, 学友) flips to ユウ. That's the rule of thumb above, working exactly as advertised.
Example sentences
ヤッタンには日本語を勉強する友達がたくさんいます。
ヤッタンには にほんごを べんきょうする ともだちが たくさん います。
Yattan has lots of friends who study Japanese.
友達 — the everyday kun'yomi とも reading.
モチはヤッタンの親友で、毎日いっしょに遊びます。
モチは ヤッタンの しんゆうで、まいにち いっしょに あそびます。
Mochi is Yattan's best friend, and they play together every day.
親友 uses the on'yomi ユウ (しんゆう). Compounds take the on'yomi.
先生は「友情はとても大切です」と言いました。
せんせいは「ゆうじょうは とても たいせつです」と いいました。
Sensei said, Friendship is very important.
友情 (ゆうじょう) — another ユウ compound.
Quick recap
- 友 = friend; just 4 strokes; its radical is 又 (again / hand).
- とも in the everyday word 友達; ユウ in formal compounds (友人, 親友, 友情, 学友).
- 友達 = 友 (とも) + the suffix 達 (たち / だち), and it's the normal word for "friend."
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 友 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 友 in 友達 vs 友人?
In 友達 it's the kun'yomi とも (友達 = ともだち, 'friend'). In 友人 it's the on'yomi ユウ (友人 = ゆうじん, 'friend'). As a rule, the two-kanji compounds take the on'yomi.
How many strokes does 友 have?
友 has just 4 strokes, which makes it one of the quicker N5 kanji to write. Its radical is 又 ('again / hand').
What's the most common word for 'friend'?
友達 (ともだち) is the everyday word you'll use most. 友人 (ゆうじん) means the same thing but sounds more formal, and 親友 (しんゆう) means a close or best friend.
Why does 友達 have 達 in it?
達 (たち / だち) is a suffix that often marks a group or plural. In 友達 it's fused into the standard word for 'friend,' so 友達 works for one friend or many.