How to say “bestfriend” in Korean? | Types of friends in Korean

KSJ 쌤
3 days ago
2 min read

안녕하세요 여러분! It’s KoreanStudyJunkie here.

In this lesson, I want to talk about the word “best friend” in Korean and other ways people refer to their friends in Korean.

Commonly Used Construction

제일 친한 친구 / 가장 친한 친구

Meaning: Best-friend

Literal: Most close friend , Closest friend

Breakdown:

제일 / 가장 - the most
친하다 - close (not physically close)
(으)ㄴ - modifying form - use adjectives to describe nouns
친구 - friend

Examples:

너의 제일 친한 친구 아니에요?

Isn't he your best friend?

이 사람은 제 가장 친한 친구 중 한 명인 소라입니다.

This is one of my best friends, Sora.

This is the most commonly given answer when people ask how to say “best friend”, but it is a bit stiff and literal.

ANOTHER WAY TO REFER TO

Best friends / very close friends

찐친 (찐한 친구)

Meaning: real / legit best friend

Very common, especially among young adults

Ex:

걔는 내 찐친이야.

They’re my real best friend.

This one can feel stronger and a little more natural than the first one!

THE KONGLISH VERSION

베프

Meaning: Best-friend

Origins: 베스트 프렌드 (usually only used in its shortened form)

Examples:

내 베프가 계속 소개팅을 주선해줘.

My best friend keeps trying to set me up on dates.

너 베스트 프렌드 어디 있어?

Where's your best friend?

This one is used more online and not as common for everyday conversations between adults.

How Koreans Refer to Friends

“SITUATIONAL FRIENDS”

Koreans sometimes refer to friends by the situations they often meet/hang out in.

밥친구

밥 = meal / rice
Meaning: a friend you eat meals with regularly
Often used for coworkers, classmates, or roommates
Not necessarily a close emotional friend

Ex:

오늘 점심 밥친구 있어요.

I have someone to eat lunch with today.

커피친구/카페친구

커피친구 = coffee friend / 카페친구 = café friend
Someone you usually meet just to drink coffee or hang out at cafés
Light, casual relationship

Ex:

회사 근처에 커피친구가 있어요.

I have a coffee friend near my office.

술친구

술 = alcohol
A friend you mainly drink with
Can be close, but often activity-based

Ex:

그 사람은 술친구라서 자주 마셔요.

They’re a drinking friend, so we drink often.

운동친구 / 헬스친구

학교친구

게임친구

온라인친구

회사친구

In Korean, these words often imply a context-based friendship. These friends are not necessarily a best friend, and can sometimes imply more of an acquaintance friendship. Defined by where or what you do together.

DO KOREANS EVEN USE “BEST FRIEND”?

Most of the time, no! Koreans often avoid directly saying “best friend” and instead imply closeness (at least when around others). If its you and your bestfriend that could be different - this varies from person to person.

For Example,