also: まぶだち · マブだち
true friend; close friend
Slang term from youth culture, especially associated with the ヤンキー subculture. Dated, now mostly used nostalgically or in period pieces. Often implies a very tight, almost family-like bond.
That guy is my true friend.
I met up with my close friend from high school for the first time in a while.
Katakana spelling is common for this slang term; usually written in kana.
Hiragana variant, also used.
Kanji spelling with 達; attested but rare in practice.
Mixed kanji-hiragana spelling; attested but rare.
Slang compound of マブ, “genuine, true,” and ダチ, a clipped slang form of 友達, “friend.”