The Nuances and Depth of Friendship in Chinese Culture
Friendship holds great meaning in Chinese culture. Unlike Western notions of friendship that focus on shared interests and quality time together, the Chinese concept of friendship (友谊, yǒuyì) runs much deeper. Friendship in China is viewed as a lifelong bond infused with obligation, respect, loyalty and honor. There are even unique words in Chinese that depict different types of friends and levels of friendship that don’t have direct equivalents in English.
Table of Contents
The Importance of Guanxi – Personal Relationships
An essential element of Chinese culture that underlies their concept of friendship is guanxi (關系). Guanxi refers to the system of social networks, connections and relationships that Chinese people cultivate throughout their lives. It essentially means having personal access to resources and opportunities through one’s network of relationships.
Unlike Western cultures that focus more on the individual, China traditionally values collective, hierarchical relationships rooted in Confucian ethics. Guanxi emphasizes reciprocity, indebtedness, loyalty and obligation between people in order to function smoothly in society.
The type of guanxi developed with someone determines the expectations and responsibilities between the two parties. Family members, schoolmates, co-workers all have different guanxi dynamics. Friendship is one of the most valued types of guanxi bond in Chinese society.
Chinese Words for Different Types of Friends
The Chinese language reflects how the Chinese people conceptualize friendship and social relationships. There are unique vocabularies and characters that depict different types of friends and social circles:
朋友 (péngyǒu) – Friend
This is the most common, all-encompassing word used for a friend. It refers to someone you know well, get along with and trust. In Chinese culture, 朋友 connotes a close, loyal relationship and someone you rely on for the long term.
闺蜜/男闺蜜 (guīmì/nánguīmì) – Best friend
A 闺蜜 is a sworn best friend, almost like a sister. It originally referred to a female confidante but can also be used for very close male friendships (男闺蜜). This is someone you share your deepest secrets with and will be there for you through thick and thin.
老友 (lǎoyǒu) – Old friend
An old friend refers to someone you’ve known for a long time, perhaps from childhood or school days. The relationship is characterized by fond memories and nostalgia.
知己 (zhījǐ) – Kindred spirit
This refers to a like-minded friend who “gets” you and shares similar interests, values and outlook on life. It’s a deep spiritual connection.
交心之交 (jiāoxīn zhī jiāo) – Bosom friend
This exaggerates the intimacy of a friendship, similar to a bosom buddy or soulmate in English. It conveys unconditional trust and affection between two people.
工作伙伴/战友 (gōngzuò huǒbàn/zhànyǒu) – Colleague
Chinese also have nuanced ways of referring to professional friendships at work or school. 工作伙伴 are colleagues who cooperate together daily. 战友 emphasizes being allies under challenging circumstances.
Behavior Reflecting Close Bonds
Chinese culture places great importance on actions, not just words, for demonstrating the depth of a friendship. Certain behaviors characterize close friendships:
Favors and Exchanging Gifts
Friends readily do favors for one another and exchange gifts to cement their guanxi. The value of gifts or favors is usually reciprocal to the closeness of the relationship. Closer friends require more extravagant exchanges.
Addressing Each Other by Nicknames
Using intimate nicknames reflects informality between good friends. Only close friends would address each other with 老张 (Old Zhang) or 小王 (Little Wang) rather than formal names.
Speaking With Candid Honesty
Chinese people emphasize politeness and saving face in public. But with intimate friends, they unleash their unfiltered thoughts and feelings. Speaking recklessly signals trusting a friend to not judge.
Sharing Personal Problems
Confiding in someone about issues means you consider them highly trustworthy. Chinese people tend to share personal problems only with their innermost circle of confidantes.
Spending Time Together
Chinese friendships thrive on hanging out frequently, especially over mealtimes. Groups of friends eat together daily and bond during holidays and events. Quality face time nurtures friendship ties.
Loyalty and Obligation Between Friends
Unlike Western friendships that may come and go, Chinese expect friends to remain loyal for life. Friendship is heavily dictated by social rituals and mutual indebtedness.
Repaying Favors
Friends must repay any favor or gift received based on the context. Not reciprocating breaks trust and ruins the friendship. There is pressure to avoid owing anyone.
Saving Face for Friends
Chinese people are careful not to let friends lose social face or reputation. They’ll defend a friend’s honor and avoid publicly criticizing them. Supporting them even when privately disapproving shows loyalty.
Making Personal Sacrifices
True friends should make sacrifices when needed, whether lending money or connections. There’s an obligation to pool resources and help friends in hardship, even at personal cost.
Being Available When Called Upon
Friends make themselves available to socialize and assist whenever needed. Declining might signal disloyalty. Availability reflects willingness to maintain the friendship.
Publicly Honoring Friends
At events and holidays, Chinese people acknowledge important friends. Giving public praise, toasts and ample gifts before witnesses demonstrates friendship.
Proverbs on Friendship
Chinese proverbs offer wisdom and guidance on friendship and its value in human relations:
“亲兄弟明算账” – Brothers count up accounts clearly
This proverb means even the closest kin must be clear in lending and borrowing money from each other. By extension, good friends should be upfront about debts and favors owed rather than jeopardize the friendship over money.
“患难见真情” – In times of hardship, one sees true feelings
Friendships are proven not during happy times but when one falls into difficult situation. Who still stands by you reveals who is a true friend.
“物以类聚,人以群分” – Things gather in groups; people gather in groups
This describes how social relationships form naturally. People gravitate subconsciously toward others of similar backgrounds, interests and temperaments.
“浪迹天涯,共剪西窗烛” – Roam the world together, trim the candle together
This poem describes adventure and lasting friendship. Good friends remain loyal companions through all of life’s journeys.
“一日之交,终生难忘” – A friendship made in a day, never forgotten for life
Some friendships form quickly but create an imprint that lasts forever. The bond between true friends withstands time.
Friendship holds much greater meaning, obligations and significance in Chinese culture compared to Western friendship. But at its core, the spirit of true friendship remains constant across all cultures. Friends are the family we choose, who walk with us along life’s twisting paths – in good times and bad. The enrichment that friendship adds to our lives is universally understood.
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The Essential Friendships for Chinese (Elementary)
1. 朋友 (Péngyou): friend
2. 发小 (Fàxiǎo): a childhood friend
3. 闺蜜 (Guīmì): a woman’s best female friend
4. 死党 (Sǐdǎng): sworn followers
5. 室友 (Shìyǒu): a roommate
There is a Chinese saying : a sincere friendship is worth more than even the most valuable of treasures.
(You might interested in Chinese culture, try our Chinese Culture Lessons!)
People have many types of “朋友 (péngyou) friends”: best friends, childhood friends, new friends, friends at work, girlfriends, boyfriends, and even long-lost friends. Some friends you might see every single day, and some you may only see occasionally. In Chinese, there are also many different types of friends, and today we’re going to share a few of those types with you.
Fàxiǎo I 发 小
发小 (Fàxiǎo) is a childhood friend. You met this person when you were both young, and the friendship developed naturally. Some might say that this is the best type of friend to have. These days, many working people are tired of the complicated networks inside their company and like having a 发小 (fàxiǎo) to spend time with outside of work. This kind of friend knows your past and also probably understands you at a deeper level than others. It is a comfortable, safe relationship. Do you have a friend like this?
Wǒ hé Wáng Lì cóng xiǎo wán dào dà, tā shì wǒ de fàxiǎo. 我和王丽从小玩到大,她是我的发小。 Wang Li and I have grown up playing together. She is my childhood friend.
Guīmì II 闺 蜜
This means girlfriend: a woman’s best female friend. Traditionally, “闺 (guī)” was the place where unmarried women lived, and “蜜 (mì)” literally means “honey.” guīmì)” usually trust in each other and share secrets, talk about their happy and sad experiences, have similar interests and hobbies, and maybe even have similar tastes in men.
“闺蜜 (Guīmì)” can only be used with women. What do men call their best male friends? That would be “兄弟 (xiōngdì).”
(Do You Have a Real Girlfriend or Boyfriend? If Not, Learn “单身狗 (dānshēnɡǒu) Single Dog” for You!)
Wǒ de guīmì sòng wǒ yìtiáo wéijīn. 我的闺蜜送我一条围巾。 My best friend gave me a scarf.
Sǐdǎng III死 党
“死党 (Sǐdǎng)” might sound bad, but in friendship it is definitely a good thing. “死党 (sǐdǎng)” are your best friends. They are loyal and willing to do anything to help you although sometimes they make you angry deliberately. “死党 (sǐdǎng)” is your friend through thick and thin, and the two of you share almost everything. “死党 (sǐdǎng)” may be either a male or a female. (2 Types of Friends You Should Have: “哥们儿 (Gēmen’r)” And “姐们儿 (Jiěmen’r)”)
Lǐ Míng shì wǒ de sǐdǎng. 李明是我的死党。 Li Ming is my best friend.
Shìyǒu IV 室 友
“室友 (Shìyǒu)” is a roommate. Are you friends with your roommates? Maybe not. But for Chinese youths, your roommates are very important to you. Many young people in China live in the student dormitories during their school days and are not near to their families, so these students need to spend a lot of time together and take care of each other. Generally speaking, the relationships between roommates in China are very close. Most of the “闺蜜 (guīmì)” start out as your “室友 (shìyǒu)” at first. But sometimes, a “室友 (shìyǒu)” is just a common friend.
Wǒ de yí gè shìyǒu jīntiān jiéhūn. 我的一个室友今天结婚。 One of my roommates is getting married today.
1. How does a female address her female best friend? ______ A. 兄弟 (Xiōngdì) B. 哥们儿 (Gēmenr) C. 闺蜜 (Guīmì)
2. Tom and his classmate Jack have known each other since they were in high school. They care about each other and are always there to help the other. Sometimes there are sad moments in their lives, but they are true friends no matter the obstacles. They are_______ A. 发小 (Fàxiǎo) B. 死党 (Sǐdǎng) C. 闺蜜 (Guīmì)
3. Emily and Kate have been friends since they were kids. They are_____ A. 兄弟 (Xiōngdì) B. 发小 (Fàxiǎo) C. 室友 (Shìyǒu)
Answers: 1.C 2. B 3. B
Learn How to Say “朋友 (péngyou) Friend” Through Chinese Nursery Rhymes! Where Is My Friend? Chinese Idiom: Little Dogs, My Good Friends! General Chinese (Beginner Level)
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I wont chines girl to mkae sisterhood. I love china.
I want chines girl to make freindship I love china.
How do a male call female friend in Chinese ? Same way, how do a female call male friend in Chinese ? Both are just friend and not husband-wife and not business friend. Let me know. Thanks Kalpesh Mehta from India, Harbin
Dear e-ChineseLearning Team, Thank Yu for the Clarification of “Friendship”. A couple of questions did arise. When should one use pengyou and genemr qing.88 from William
I am Indian national male. I have Chinese female friend. We are good friend apart from business. I have my own family (Indian wife and kids) and she has her own Chinese boy friend. What does this relationship call in Chinese. Let me know. Thanks
Kalpesh Mehta India.
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Tag: Essays
Essay: 《不死鸟》the immortal bird by sanmao.
- Post author By Kendra
- Post date March 25, 2023
- 4 Comments on Essay: 《不死鸟》The Immortal Bird by Sanmao
In this tear-jerker essay, famous Taiwanese authoress Sanmao ponders on the value of her own life. It was written as she grieved the drowning of her beloved Spanish husband in 1979, and is all the more tragic in light of her suicide 12 years later.
- Tags Essays
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- 5 Comments on Essay:《爱》Love by Zhang Ailing (Eileen Chang)
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- 1 Comment on Essay:《打人》Hitting Someone by Zhang Ailing (Eileen Chang)
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- Post date May 7, 2020
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- Tags Essays , Science
Letter: Ba Jin’s Correspondence with “Young Friends Searching for Ideals” – Part II
- Post date May 5, 2020
- 3 Comments on Letter: Ba Jin’s Correspondence with “Young Friends Searching for Ideals” – Part II
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- 3 Comments on Essay:《帮忙》 Helping Out
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Essay: 《丑石》The Ugly Rock by Jia Pingwa
- Post date April 29, 2020
- No Comments on Essay: 《丑石》The Ugly Rock by Jia Pingwa
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Letter: Ba Jin’s Correspondence with “Young Friends Searching for Ideals” – Part I
- Post date April 27, 2020
- No Comments on Letter: Ba Jin’s Correspondence with “Young Friends Searching for Ideals” – Part I
In the first of a two-part post, we’ll look at a letter sent in 1987 from a group of elementary school students to the anarchist writer Ba Jin (most famous for his 1931 novel The Family) as they struggle to cope with China’s changing social values. In Part II, I’ll translate Ba Jin’s reply.
Essay: Desk-chairs of the Future
- Post date May 28, 2014
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This kid was asked to imagine the perfect desk-chair of the future – what it would look like, and what it would do – and boy, does he ever. The chair turns into all kinds of utopian machinery. It flies, it helps you sleep, and it carries your books to school. Sentence structure is pretty […]
Essay: Catching Frogs
- Post date May 7, 2014
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Essay: Papa, Please Don’t Smoke!
- Post date June 3, 2013
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In this essay, a child desperately (and very angrily) pleads their father not to smoke. Though this is classified as “Intermediate”, beginners should definitely try this read, leaning heavily on the hover word-list. The difficult parts are the mid-level turns of phrase, which are all explained below.
Guest Post: The exam of life
- Post date May 6, 2013
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- 10 Comments on My Gluttonous Elder Brother
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In the spirit of the holiday season, which is winding to a blissfully overweight close, I give you an article about something you may or may not have just struggled through if you flew home for the holidays (which I did).
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A single-paragraph essay about the results of a family jump rope competition.
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- Post date September 10, 2012
- 20 Comments on After I Got My New Years’ Money
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- Post date August 29, 2012
- 20 Comments on Essay: A Foolish Affair from my Childhood
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Dear Diary: Mama Please Believe Me
- Post date May 3, 2012
- 18 Comments on Dear Diary: Mama Please Believe Me
And now a break from all the intermediate and advanced exercises I’ve been posting lately. This one is a straightforward beginner Chinese diary-style essay about a student whose mother is displeased with his (or her, it’s never clarified) homework.