친구를 사귀다
chingureul sagwida
Make friends
Phrase in 30 Seconds
The essential Korean phrase for building your social circle and connecting with others.
- Means: To form a new friendship or start associating with someone.
- Used in: School, work, parties, or when moving to a new city.
- Don't confuse: With '친구를 만나다' which means meeting friends you already have.
Explanation at your level:
意思
To form new relationships with people.
文化背景
The 'Same-Age' Rule: In Korea, you are usually only 'friends' ({친구|親舊}) with people born in the same year. If someone is even one year older, they are a 'Hyung' or 'Noona'. Drinking Culture: Many adult friendships are '사귀다'-ed over dinner and drinks (Hoesik). Sharing a meal is a vital step in the process. Digital Socializing: KakaoTalk is essential. You haven't fully '사귀다'-ed someone until you've exchanged Kakao IDs. In overseas Korean communities, the age rule is often relaxed, and '친구' can refer to a broader range of ages.
The 'Age' Check
When trying to make a friend, don't be offended if they ask your age immediately. They are just trying to figure out if they can '사귀다' you as a 'Chingu' or if they need to use honorifics.
Dating Ambiguity
If you say '우리 사귀자' (Let's associate), it's a romantic confession. To be platonic, say '우리 친구 하자' (Let's be friends).
意思
To form new relationships with people.
The 'Age' Check
When trying to make a friend, don't be offended if they ask your age immediately. They are just trying to figure out if they can '사귀다' you as a 'Chingu' or if they need to use honorifics.
Dating Ambiguity
If you say '우리 사귀자' (Let's associate), it's a romantic confession. To be platonic, say '우리 친구 하자' (Let's be friends).
Food is Key
In Korea, the phrase '밥 한번 먹자' (Let's eat sometime) is the universal first step to '사귀다'-ing someone.
Use '친해지다' for safety
If you're unsure if '사귀다' is appropriate (e.g., with an older person), use '친해지고 싶어요' (I want to get close). It's always safe.
自我测试
Fill in the correct object marker and verb form.
저는 한국 친구___ 많이 _________ 싶어요. (I want to make many Korean friends.)
The object '친구' takes the marker '를', and the verb '사귀다' with '-고 싶다' becomes '사귀고 싶어요'.
Which sentence is the most natural for 'I made a friend at the party yesterday'?
어제 파티에서...
'사귀었어요' is the standard and most natural way to describe making a new friend.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 유학 가서 친구 많이 사귀었어? B: 아니, 영어를 못해서 아직 ___________.
'못' indicates inability, which fits the context of not being able to make friends due to language barriers.
Match the phrase to the situation.
When you are talking about your new boyfriend, you say:
In a romantic context, the object '친구' is often dropped or replaced with '남자친구/여자친구'.
Match the Korean to the English.
1. 친구를 사귀다, 2. 친구를 만나다, 3. 친구랑 친해지다
1 is the process of starting, 2 is the act of meeting, 3 is the result of becoming close.
🎉 得分： /5
视觉学习工具
사귀다 vs 만나다
常见问题
12 个问题It's a bit too personal. For business, use '안면을 익히다' (get to know) or '관계를 맺다' (form a relationship).
Not at all! Adults use it too, though they might use '사람들을 사귀다' (associating with people) to sound more mature.
'사귀다' is native Korean and common. '교제하다' is Hanja-based and very formal, often used in news or for serious dating.
You can say '저는 친구를 잘 사귀는 편이에요'.
No, you don't '사귀다' a dog. You '키우다' (raise) or '친해지다' (get close to) it.
In 90% of modern casual conversations, yes. If you say '나 사귀는 사람 있어', it means 'I'm seeing someone'.
Young people might say '인싸 되다' (to become an insider/popular), which implies making many friends.
Yes, '동아리 사람들과 사귀다' is perfectly fine.
The opposite is '멀어지다' (to grow apart) or '절교하다' (to break off).
No, that would be very strange. Use '좋은 관계를 유지하다' (maintain a good relationship).
Because dating is seen as a deep form of 'associating' or 'intertwining' your life with someone else.
Yes, it means 'I am in the process of making friends' (e.g., at a new job).
相关表达
친해지다
similarTo become close with someone
교제하다
specialized formTo associate/date (formal)
안면을 트다
builds onTo become acquainted
말을 놓다
builds onTo speak informally
절교하다
contrastTo break off a friendship
在哪里用
First day of school
엄마: 학교에서 친구 많이 사귀었니?
아들: 네, 짝꿍이랑 벌써 친해졌어요!
Language Exchange App
User A: 한국인 친구를 사귀고 싶어서 가입했어요.
User B: 반가워요! 저랑 친구 해요.
Moving to a new city
민수: 서울 생활은 어때요?
제인: 좋아요. 하지만 아직 친구를 많이 못 사귀었어요.
Joining a hobby club
지민: 동아리에 왜 들어왔어?
태형: 기타도 배우고 친구도 사귀려고!
Talking about a new boyfriend/girlfriend
수지: 너 요즘 누구 사귀는 사람 있어?
유나: 응, 지난달부터 사귀기 시작한 남자친구가 있어.
Job Interview (Social Skills)
면접관: 본인의 장점은 무엇입니까?
지원자: 저는 사교적이라서 어디서든 친구를 잘 사귑니다.
Travel Story
여행객: 제주도 여행 가서 현지 친구를 사귀었어요.
친구: 와, 정말 부럽다! 어떻게 만났어?
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Sagwida' as 'Socially Getting With Individuals Daily'.
Visual Association
Imagine two people holding a 'Sagu' (a small Korean fruit, though unrelated) and sharing it to become friends. Or visualize two threads 'intertwining' (the original meaning of the verb).
Rhyme
친구를 사귀다, 마음을 나누다 (Chingureul sagwida, maeumeul nanuda) - Make a friend, share a heart.
Story
You move to Seoul. You see a lonely person at a cafe. You say 'Hello'. You talk every day. Now, you have 'sagwida'-ed them. You've woven your lives together.
Word Web
挑战
Go to a Korean language forum or app and use the sentence '저는 한국 친구를 많이 사귀고 싶어요' (I want to make many Korean friends) in your bio.
In Other Languages
Hacer amigos
Korean uses a dedicated verb for associating, not a general 'make' verb.
Se faire des amis
French emphasizes the 'getting' for oneself, Korean emphasizes the 'associating'.
Freunde finden
German 'finds' friends; Korean 'associates' with them.
友達を作る
Japanese uses 'make' for friendship more often than Korean does.
تكوين صداقات
Arabic focuses on the 'formation' of the bond; Korean on the 'interaction'.
交朋友
Very similar; both emphasize the 'exchange' or 'crossing' of paths.
Fazer amigos
Korean '사귀다' is more specialized for relationships than 'fazer'.
Заводить друзей
Russian 'starts' friends like a motor; Korean 'intertwines' with them.
Easily Confused
Learners use '사귀다' for existing friends.
Use '만나다' for people you already know. Use '사귀다' for 'Level 0 to Level 1' of friendship.
Can be mistaken for dating.
Always include '친구를' if you want to be 100% clear you mean platonic friendship.
常见问题 (12)
It's a bit too personal. For business, use '안면을 익히다' (get to know) or '관계를 맺다' (form a relationship).
Not at all! Adults use it too, though they might use '사람들을 사귀다' (associating with people) to sound more mature.
'사귀다' is native Korean and common. '교제하다' is Hanja-based and very formal, often used in news or for serious dating.
You can say '저는 친구를 잘 사귀는 편이에요'.
No, you don't '사귀다' a dog. You '키우다' (raise) or '친해지다' (get close to) it.
In 90% of modern casual conversations, yes. If you say '나 사귀는 사람 있어', it means 'I'm seeing someone'.
Young people might say '인싸 되다' (to become an insider/popular), which implies making many friends.
Yes, '동아리 사람들과 사귀다' is perfectly fine.
The opposite is '멀어지다' (to grow apart) or '절교하다' (to break off).
No, that would be very strange. Use '좋은 관계를 유지하다' (maintain a good relationship).
Because dating is seen as a deep form of 'associating' or 'intertwining' your life with someone else.
Yes, it means 'I am in the process of making friends' (e.g., at a new job).
