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旧友 (きゅうゆう, kyuuyuu) Japanese meaning: old friend | Kotomora
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に
再さい
会かい
し
た
。
The other day, I reunited with an old friend from my university days for the first time in ten years.
He returned to his hometown to visit an old friend.
Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 と 旧きゅう 友ゆう になる to become old friends with someone
They met in college and became old friends over the years.
旧きゅう 友ゆう に 会あ う to meet an old friend
While on a business trip, I met up with an old friend.
旧きゅう 友ゆう と 再さい 会かい する to be reunited with an old friend
I was reunited with an old friend after ten years.
Kanji 旧 old times, old things, old friend Related words 友人 is a neutral, general word for 'friend', while 旧友 specifically means a friend from long ago whom you haven't seen recently.
親友 emphasizes emotional closeness ('best friend'), whereas 旧友 emphasizes the length of time since the friendship began.
幼馴染 refers specifically to a friend from childhood, while 旧友 can refer to any friend known for a long time, not necessarily since childhood.
旧友 is the standard modern word for an old friend, replacing the now-dated 'old friend' sense of 故人.
旧友 specifically means an old friend (a person), while 旧知 more often describes the state of having known someone for a long time, as in 旧知の仲.
Etymology Compound of 旧 (former, old) and 友 (friend). The reading is on'yomi for both characters.