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朋

朋 (péng) Chinese Character: friend; companion

8 strokes · HSK 1 · Radical 月

Two matching forms stand together like close companions.

Practice 朋 in the interactive lesson

Chinese character story: Companions Joined Side by Side

朋 (péng) is most useful inside 朋友, the everyday word for “friend.” Although modern 朋 looks like two moons, 月 + 月 is only a visual memory trick, not the documented origin. The older joined-pair image gives a better idea: two matching groups stand together. In normal speech, 友 in 朋友 is often light, so the word sounds like péngyou. Learn the pair as one friendly unit.

🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes

Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.

朋友
朋companion友friend=friend

朋友 is the standard everyday word.

朋友们
朋友friends们plural marker=friends as a group

Chinese character origin and etymology

Early forms of 朋 have been interpreted as two strings of shells or valuable pieces joined together. The idea of paired or associated things later supported meanings such as companion and friend.

The modern character looks like two matching 月-shaped forms standing side by side. 朋 works as one complete form rather than a puzzle made from smaller modern components. Learning its overall silhouette is useful because the same shape may later appear inside more complex characters.

朋 in oracle bone script
Oracle bone script
朋 in bronze script
Bronze script
朋 in seal script
Seal script

Chinese character stroke order and structure

朋 is written with 8 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.

  • 朋 — friend; companion — learn the complete modern shape as one unit

Common usage and sentence patterns

The examples below show 朋 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.

他是我的朋友。 Tā shì wǒ de péngyou. He is my friend.
我们是好朋友。 Wǒmen shì hǎo péngyou. We are good friends.
朋友明天来我家。 Péngyou míngtiān lái wǒ jiā. My friend is coming to my home tomorrow.

Learning tips for 朋

Learn the reading as one unit: péng, with the second tone: rising. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “friend; companion,” and write the 8 strokes from memory.

Because 朋 is a basic form, focus on its proportions and stroke direction. Compare it with 友 (yǒu, friend; friendly); 人 (rén, person); 好 (hǎo, good). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.

Quick review checklist

  • Can you recognize 朋 without pinyin?
  • Can you say péng with the correct tone and explain “friend; companion”?
  • Can you write all 8 strokes in order?
  • Can you use 朋 in one short sentence?

Related characters

Continue learning Chinese characters

Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.

Sources and editorial note

HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.

Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.