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友達を作る
tomodachi o tsukuru
make friends
新しい学校で友達を作るのが大変だった。
It was hard to make friends at my new school.
informal
To form new friendships with others.
彼は社交的で、すぐに友達を作る。
He's sociable and makes friends easily.
留学中に多くの友達を作った。
I made many friends during my study abroad.
Often used in contexts like school, work, or social gatherings where initiating new relationships is the focus.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Natural vs. Literal Translation
While 'to make friends' is the most natural English equivalent, avoid literal translations like 'to create friends' or 'to produce friends,' which sound unnatural in English.
Gold Rule
Context Matters
The phrase is typically used when the focus is on the *act* of forming new friendships, rather than the existing state of friendship. For example, 'I made a new friend at the party' (友達を作った) vs. 'I have many friends' (友達が多い).
Word Origin
Composed of 友達 (tomodachi, 'friend') and を作る (o tsukuru, 'to make/create'). The verb する (suru) is implied in the phrase structure.
Usage Notes
This phrase is commonly used in everyday conversation to describe the act of forming new friendships. It can be used in both positive and neutral contexts, but rarely in negative ones unless referring to the difficulty of the process.
Word Breakdown
友達
friend
nounを
object marker particle
particle作る
to make/create
verb和英辞典