友 — “friend” in Japanese

Grade 2ゆう, とも

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“friend” in Japanese is 友, read yuu, tomo (ゆう, とも). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 友達 (friend).

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What does 友 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	友
Meaning	friend
Readings	ゆう, とも
Grade	Grade 2 (Easy)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	友達 (friend)

How to read 友

友 is read yuu (ゆう) or tomo (とも) depending on the word.

Words with 友

友人ゆうじん
友達
旧友

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Kanji read the same way as 友

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Updated: 2026-08-28