旧友(きゅうゆう)

きゅうゆう
noun
old friend; longtime friend
1. old friend; longtime friend
A friend from the distant past, someone one has known for a long time. Carries a literary, somewhat nostalgic tone and implies a deep, lasting bond.
旧友(きゅうゆう)と再会(さいかい)した。
I reunited with an old friend.
大学時代(だいがくじだい)の旧友(きゅうゆう)から突然(とつぜん)連絡(れんらく)が来(き)た。
I suddenly got a message from an old college friend.
十年(じゅうねん)ぶりに旧友(きゅうゆう)と酒(さけ)を酌(く)み交(か)わし、昔話(むかしばなし)に花(はな)が咲(さ)いた。
I shared drinks with an old friend for the first time in ten years, and we had a wonderful time reminiscing.

USAGE:
More literary and refined than 古(ふる)い友達(ともだち) (old friend). Often used in written contexts or when speaking with some formality. Implies a friendship that has endured over many years.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 旧友(きゅうゆう)と再会(さいかい)する (to reunite with an old friend)
  • 旧友(きゅうゆう)を訪(たず)ねる (to visit an old friend)
  • 旧友(きゅうゆう)との絆(きずな) (bond with an old friend)

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 幼(おさな)なじみ: childhood friend — specifically someone known since childhood
  • 古(ふる)い友達(ともだち): old friend — casual, everyday expression
  • 親友(しんゆう): best friend — emphasizes closeness, not duration
general
Added 2026.3.18 11:10
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