HSK Guide

péngfriend, companion (chiefly in 朋友); of the same kind, matched

péng (second tone, rising)

friend, companion (chiefly in 朋友); of the same kind, matched

8 画部首 词频 #475

拼音

  • péng (second tone, rising)

friend, companion (chiefly in 朋友); of the same kind, matched

Mnemonic

Two strings of cowrie shells hung side by side — the picture is a matched pair, not two moons in the sky. From "a pair" came "one of a pair", and so a companion. Today it hardly ever stands alone: the word is 朋友, and a room full of them is 朋友们. Keep the left half narrower than the right, as every side-by-side character is written.

A memory aid written by HSK Guide editors. It is not an etymology and does not describe the historical origin of the character.