友人

• Pinyin: yǒu rén
• Hanzi breakdown: 友 = two joined right hands (mutual support — friend); 人 = pictograph of standing person

Meaning

Friend; companion. A formal or literary term for a friend, used primarily in written language and formal contexts.

More formal and literary than 朋友. Commonly used in official documents, diplomatic language, literary works, and formal correspondence. 外国友人 (foreign friends) is a classic diplomatic phrase. 老友人 (old friend) carries a warm, dignified tone suited to formal settings.

Examples

1. 这位翻译家在回忆录中写下他与世界各地文学友人的深厚情谊，并说这影响了他的翻译观。 In his memoir, the translator wrote about his deep bonds with literary friends around the world and said they shaped his view of translation.
2. 写于1949年前夕的长信中，作者向海外友人倾诉变局前的期待与焦虑。 In a long letter written on the eve of 1949, the author confided to an overseas friend his hope and anxiety before the coming upheaval.
3. 发言人表示，中国人民一向把各国友人视为增进理解、深化合作的重要桥梁，并欢迎他们来华。 The spokesperson said that the Chinese people have always regarded friends from all countries as an important bridge for better understanding and deeper cooperation, and welcomed them to China.

Usage Guide

Context: diplomacy, literature, formal correspondence

Tone: warm

Do Say

• 他感谢多年来支持他的国内外友人，并说正是这些真挚情谊让他在艰难岁月里坚持学术与交流。(He thanked the friends at home and abroad who had supported him for years and said their sincere friendships kept him committed to scholarship and exchange in difficult times.)
• 这部小说写北平文化圈里一位编辑与日本友人跨越战火的情谊，呈现良知与民族情感的冲突。(This novel portrays the bond across wartime between an editor in Beijing's cultural circle and his Japanese friend, showing the conflict between conscience and national feeling.)

Don't Say

• 我的友人给我发了条微信 — 友人 is literary and formal; for everyday contexts use 朋友 or 好友; 友人 in casual conversation sounds stilted and anachronistic

Origin & History

友 (friend — two right hands joined, symbolizing mutual assistance) + 人 (person — pictograph of a standing person)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal