Making friends
Collocations, Stage 1chunk 18 of 22People & talk
Meeting someone new: making friends, becoming friends with one person, swapping names, going up to someone, and chances to meet people.
- tomodachi ga dekirumake a friend, make friends
- tomodachi ni narubecome friends (with someone)
- namae o oshierutell someone your name
- koe o kakeruspeak to, call out to; ask along
- deai ga arumeet someone new
Mix-ups tomodachi ga dekiru is gaining friends in general (tomodachi dekita), while one person is X to tomodachi ni naru; neither is tomodachi o tsukuru. 'Tell me your name' is namae oshiete, not iu, and going up to someone is koe o kakeru, not hanasu.
tomodachi ga dekiru
polite tomodachi ga dekimasumake a friend, make friends
友達ができる ともだちができる 友達ができます
verbdekiru できるcome into being, be made; also 'can do' and 'be ready'typical 2% of tomodachi
trap English 'make' leads to tomodachi o tsukuru, which natives use for setting out to make friends (tomodachi tsukuritai); 'I've made a friend' is tomodachi dekita.
Said once a friendship has formed, so mostly in the past: tomodachi dekita (I've made a friend). kareshi / kanojo dekita (got a boyfriend / girlfriend) works the same way.
kotchi de mou tomodachi dekita?
Made any friends here yet?
こっちでもう友達できた？
kochira de tomodachi wa dekimashita ka?
Have you made any friends here?
こちらで友達はできましたか？
Wanting friends is usually tomodachi hoshii or tomodachi tsukuritai. Having them takes ga iru, as in kodomo ga iru: dekita is the moment it happens, iru is having them (tomodachi iru?). Becoming friends with one person is X to tomodachi ni naru.
Same verb: kareshi (boyfriend), kanojo (girlfriend), koibito (partner), kodomo (child: kodomo dekita = we're expecting; akachan works too)Learn alongside: tomodachi ni naru, kodomo ga iru (Stage 2), kodomo ga umareru (Stage 2)Main list: dekiru (Stage 1), tsukuru (Stage 3)
tomodachi ni naru
polite tomodachi ni narimasubecome friends (with someone)
友達になる ともだちになる 友達になります
verbnaru なるbecome (with ni after a noun)typical 12% of tomodachi
trap English 'make friends with him' leads to tomodachi o tsukuru, which is setting out to make friends in general (tomodachi tsukuritai). With a particular person it's kare to tomodachi ni natta, and 'I've made a friend' is tomodachi dekita.
Takes to for the other person: kare to tomodachi ni natta (I became friends with him). Mostly told in the past, about where or how a friendship started.
kanojo to wa daigaku de tomodachi ni natta.
She and I became friends at uni.
彼女とは大学で友達になった。
kanojo to wa daigaku de tomodachi ni narimashita.
She and I became friends at university.
彼女とは大学で友達になりました。
nakayoku naru (get close) is the near twin: sugu nakayoku natta (we hit it off right away). tomodachi ni narou = let's be friends.
Same verb: nakama (mates, teammates), kazoku (family: by marriage or adoption), koibito (a couple; tsukiau is the usual 'start going out')Learn alongside: tomodachi ga dekiru, kodomo ga iru (Stage 2), kodomo ga umareru (Stage 2)Main list: naru (Stage 1), -ku naru / -ni naru (Stage 4), dekiru (Stage 1), tsukuru (Stage 3), -ou / -you (Stage 4)
namae o oshieru
polite namae o oshiemasutell someone your name
名前を教える なまえをおしえる 名前を教えます
verboshieru 教えるteach; also tell, let someone know (information)typical 5% of namae
trap English 'tell me your name' leads to iu, and namae o iu is real Japanese: it's saying a name out loud (in a roll call, or saying your own). Asking someone to share their name, number or the way takes oshieru: namae oshiete.
Mostly the request namae oshiete (what's your name?), a friendly alternative to onamae wa? or namae nante iu no?. The same oshieru asks for any personal details: bangou oshiete (give me your number).
yokattara, namae oshiete kureru?
If you don't mind, what's your name?
よかったら、名前教えてくれる？
yokattara, onamae o oshiete moraemasu ka?
Would you mind telling me your name?
よかったら、お名前を教えてもらえますか？
onamae wa? is the plain polite question (at a counter, or to a child); between friends namae nante iu no? is common.
Same verb: bangou (phone number), renrakusaki (contact details), michi (the way: michi o oshieru = give directions)Learn alongside: bangou o oshieru (Stage 3)Main list: oshieru (Stage 2), iu (Stage 2), yokattara (Stage 3), -te kureru (Stage 2), -te moraeru? (Stage 2)
koe o kakeru
polite koe o kakemasuspeak to, call out to; ask along
声をかける こえをかける 声をかけます
verbkakeru かけるhang or put something onto something; here, direct your voice at someonetypical 7% of koe
trap 'Talk to someone' leads to hanasu, which is fine once you're talking: X to hanasu is chatting with X, X ni hanasu is telling X something. Going up to someone, calling them over or giving them a shout is koe o kakeru (hanashikakeru also works for starting a chat).
Used for going up to someone, or asking to be told: nanka attara koe kakete (give me a shout if anything comes up). Also the everyday way to invite someone along: tanaka-san ni mo koe kakeyou ka? (shall we ask Tanaka too?). koe kakerareta can mean someone came up to you, including being hit on.
nanka attara koe kakete ne.
Give me a shout if you need anything.
なんかあったら声かけてね。
nanika attara koe o kakete kudasai ne.
Please let me know if you need anything.
何かあったら声をかけてくださいね。
hanashikakeru (start talking to someone) is the close single verb. Same kakeru as denwa o kakeru (make a call) and meiwaku o kakeru, in a different sense.
Same verb: kotoba (words: yasashii kotoba o kakeru = say something kind to someone)Main list: kakeru (Stage 4), hanasu (Stage 2)
deai ga aru
polite deai ga arimasumeet someone new
出会いがある であいがある 出会いがあります
verbaru あるthere is; have (events, chances)typical 25% of deai
trap English 'I never meet anyone' leads to dare ni mo awanai, which sounds like you never see people at all. Meeting someone new is talked about as a deai (an encounter): deai ga nai.
Mostly in the negative, the stock complaint deai ga nai (I never meet anyone), and in good wishes: ii deai ga arimasu you ni (hope you meet someone great). Often about romance, but it also covers new friends at a new job or school.
shokuba ni zenzen deai nai n da yo.
I never meet anyone at work.
職場に全然出会いないんだよ。
shokuba ni wa zenzen deai ga nai n desu yo.
I never get to meet anyone at work.
職場には全然出会いがないんですよ。
deau is the verb, for meeting for the first time or by chance: daigaku de deatta (we met at uni).
Same verb: chansu (a chance), kikkake (an opening), en (a connection, fate)Main list: aru (Stage 1), au (Stage 3), zenzen (Stage 4)