交友関係を広げる

kōyū kankei o hirogeru
verb phraseIntermediate💡 expand one's social circle
informal

To increase the number of people one knows socially, including friends and acquaintances.

サークル活動に参加して、交友関係を広げることができます。

You can expand your social circle by joining club activities.

海外留学は交友関係を広げる絶好の機会です。

Studying abroad is a great opportunity to expand your social circle.

💡

Often used in contexts like work, school, or hobbies where meeting new people is encouraged.

Collocations

交友関係を広げる努力をするmake an effort to expand one's social circle交友関係を広げる機会opportunity to expand one's social circle交友関係を広げるためにin order to expand one's social circle

Related Phrases

人脈を作るphrase
to build connections or networking
知り合いが増えるphrase
to make more acquaintances

💡Pro Tip

Natural Usage in Context

Use 交友関係を広げる when discussing intentional efforts to meet new people, such as joining clubs, attending events, or networking at work. It’s a polite and natural phrase in both casual and formal settings.

Gold Rule

Avoid Literal Translation

Do not translate this phrase word-for-word as 'widen social relationships.' While understandable, it sounds unnatural in English. Instead, use 'expand one's social circle' for a fluent translation.

📖Word Origin

The phrase combines 三つの要素: 交友 (kōyū, 'friendship' or 'social relations'), 関係 (kankei, 'relationships'), and 広げる (hirogeru, 'to spread' or 'to widen'). 交友関係 refers to the network of friends and acquaintances one has, while 広げる indicates the action of making this network larger.

📝Usage Notes

This phrase is commonly used in everyday conversation, especially when discussing personal growth, career development, or social activities. It implies a proactive effort to meet new people rather than passively waiting for social interactions.

Word Breakdown

交友
friendship or social relations
noun
+
関係
relationships or connections
noun
+
object marker (particle)
particle
+
広げる
to spread or widen
verb
和英辞典