Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "friend" in Russian

This Russian word is one of the top 1000 words in Russian. The complete list of most common Russian words is available here.

друг

Meaning: friend, buddy, mate, chum, amigo

Pronunciation: [drook]

Part of speech: noun (masculine noun. The spelling "droog" may also refer to a Nadsat term for friend from A Clockwork Orange.)

Rank: #99 (see frequency list)

Anna, please meet my friend Slava.
Photo by slava, licensed under CC GA 2.0

Example sentences:

Он мой лу́чший друг.
He is my best friend.
Познако́мьтесь! Это мой дру́г Андре́й.
Meet each other! This is my friend Andrey.
У него́ мно́го друзе́й.
He has a lot of friends.
Тепе́рь мы друзья́.
We are now friends.
Они́ лю́бят друг дру́га.
They love each other.
Они́ не мо́гут жить друг без дру́га.
They can't live without each other.
Я ча́сто игра́ю в те́ннис с друзья́ми.
I often play tennis with friends.
Они́ похо́жи друг на дру́га.
They resemble each other.
Мы никогда́ ни о чём не расспра́шивали друг дру́жку.
We never questioned each other about anything.
Ники́та обзавёлся бли́зкими друзья́ми.
Nikita acquired close friends.
Поли́ция изуча́ет круг друзе́й и знако́мых потерпе́вшего.
Police is exploring a circle of friends and acquaintances of the victim.
Я провёл неде́лю в до́ме её друзе́й.
I spent a week in the house of her friends.
Будь дру́гом, подожди́ меня́.
Could you do me a favor and wait for me?
literal Be a friend, wait for me.

Idioms and set expressions:

друг друга = each other; one another
literal friend [a] friend
друг против друга = against each other; opposite each other
literal friend against friend
друг за другом = one after another
literal friend after friend
друг с другом = together; with each other
literal friend with friend
близкий друг = close friend
закадычный друг = bosom friend, crony, chum
друг детства = playfellow, childhood friend
друг по переписке = pen pal, pen-friend
друг семьи = family friend
друг на всю жизнь = lifelong friend
верный друг = faithful companion; unfailing friend
Будь другом, ... = Could you do me a favor and ...
literal be a friend

Related words:

дружо́к = pal, chummy
подру́га = female friend; girlfriend
подру́жка = girlfriend
друзья́ = (nominative plural) friends
друга́н = (slang) friend
прия́тель = pal, friend
това́рищ = comrade, pal
знако́мый = an acquaintance, contact
дружи́ще = bud, buddy, old fellow, old boy
дру́жба = friendship
дружи́ть = to be friends

Proverbs and sayings:

Друг до поры -- тот же недруг.
Better an open enemy than a false friend.
literal Friend till time -- same as an enemy.
Друга на деньги не купишь.
Money can't buy friends.
Друзья познаются в беде.
You learn who your friends are in bad times.
Верный друг лучше сотни слуг.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
literal A faithful friend is better than one hundred servants.
Старый друг лучше новых двух.
Everything is good when new, but friends when old.
literal An old friend is better than two new friends.
Вдруг не станешь друг.
Before you make a friend eat a bushel of salt with him.
literal Suddenly won't become a friend.
Не имей сто рублей, а имей сто друзей.
A faithful friend is better than gold.
literal Don't have one hundred rubles, rather have one hundred friends.
Упаси меня Бог от друзей, а от врагов я и сам спасусь.
God save me from my friends.
Есть пирожки -- есть и дружки, нет пирожков -- нет и дружков.
When the trouble came all friends fell away.
literal There are pies -- there are friends, no pies -- no friends.

Other forms of the word (declensions):

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	дру́г	друзья́
Genitive	дру́га	друзе́й
Dative	дру́гу	друзья́м
Accusative	дру́га	друзе́й
Instrumental	дру́гом	друзья́ми
Prepositional	дру́ге	друзья́х

Phrase recordings: Copyright(c) 2011 MasterRussian.com. All rights reserved.
Word recordings: Copyright(c) 2006 Streit Goulnara, Streit Eric, Vion Nicolas. Copyright(c) 2007 S. Sakhno, N. Vion. Distributed under CC-BY.

Got questions?

Ask them in the Russian Questions and Answers — a place for students, teachers and native Russian speakers to discuss Russian grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and other aspects of the Russian language.