Translation guide
A close friend or companion, often with a nuance of shared interests or mutual benefit. In Japanese, the translation depends heavily on context, relationship, and formality.
To refer to a close friend in everyday conversation, without negative connotations.
A close friend; implies a deep, trusting relationship. Common and natural.
彼は私の親友です。
He is my close friend.
A good friend; often used for children or in casual contexts. Can also describe a close relationship.
彼女とは子供の頃からの仲良しだ。
She and I have been close friends since childhood.
General word for friend. To emphasize closeness, add modifiers like 大の (だいの) or とても親しい (とてもしたしい).
彼は大の友達です。
He is a very close friend.
To refer to a close companion in a very casual, often masculine way.
Slang for friend, derived from 友達 (ともだち). Common among young men.
あいつは俺のダチだ。
That guy is my buddy.
Partner, sidekick; implies a strong bond, often used in buddy cop or adventure contexts.
彼は俺の相棒だ。
He's my partner/buddy.
Slang for companion, often used in Kansai region. Can sound rough.
ツレと飲みに行く。
Going out for drinks with my buddy.
To express the negative nuance of 'crony' as an accomplice or member of a clique involved in shady dealings.
Bad companion; a friend who leads one astray. Fits the negative 'crony' sense well.
彼は政治家の悪友として知られている。
He is known as a crony of the politician.
Entourage, hangers-on; implies a group surrounding a powerful person for personal gain.
A gang, a clique; often used for criminal associates.
To describe the system where friends of politicians receive unfair advantages.
Cronyism, nepotism; the practice of favoring friends or associates in politics/business.
この国では縁故主義が蔓延している。
Cronyism is rampant in this country.
Giving benefits to one's inner circle; a descriptive phrase for crony capitalism.
その政策は仲間内の利益供与に過ぎない。
That policy is nothing but crony capitalism.
Directly translating 'crony' as クローニー is not natural in Japanese. Use context-appropriate terms instead.
親友 implies a deep, lifelong bond. 仲良し is lighter and often used for children or casual friendships. 友達 is the general term; add modifiers to emphasize closeness.
社長の取り巻き連中
the president's cronies
He is one of the swindler's cronies.