<p>In your case, I cannot tell much difference.</p>

<p>The following are some use cases.</p>

<p>If you want to refer "particular people", use 我朋友. If you want to to refer "some people", 朋友 and 我朋友 are both OK.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>Not much difference in this context:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol>
  <li>我要去找朋友玩了。√</li>
  <li>我要去找我朋友玩了。√</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p>Similar in English:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol>
  <li>I am going to hang out with friends.</li>
  <li>I am going to hang out with my friends.</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p>But we use 我朋友 when introducing people.</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol>
  <li>这是我朋友John. √</li>
  <li>这是朋友John. x</li>
  <li>John是我朋友。√</li>
  <li>John是朋友。 x</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p>I guess it is also quite the similar in English:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol>
  <li>This is friend John.√</li>
  <li>This is my friend John. x</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>If you want to emphasize its meaning, 我朋友 is</strong> <em>usually</em> <strong>better.</strong></p>

<p>To express your anger or worry,</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>你打碎的花瓶是我朋友的。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>is better than</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>你打碎的花瓶是朋友的。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>However, if you want to comfort the guy who broke the vase, you probably want to de-emphasize the meaning of it:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Alice: 我打碎的花瓶是谁的啊？ Bob:是朋友的，不用担心</p>
</blockquote>

<p>is slightly softer than</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Alice: 我打碎的花瓶是谁的啊？ Bob:是我朋友的，不用担心</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-10T21:50:58.223Z
2015-08-10T21:50:58.223Z
Kevin Y.
<p>In common context, the are literally the same.</p>

<p>But you can say the latter one shows 5% percent more friendship. </p>

<p>Since in Chinese we often omit some obvious verbs, we can get the following equation:</p>

<pre><code>我朋友的 = 是我朋友的 ~ 是朋友的
</code></pre>

<p>Technically they are different just like: </p>

<pre><code>tell the difference between : 

Q: where do you get this chair?
A: it's from my friend  /  from friend
</code></pre>

<p>People may argue about their difference. 
But As a Chinese, I would like to consider 我朋友的 and 是朋友的 the same thing under common context. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-07T11:12:59.317Z
2015-08-07T11:12:59.317Z
Chiron
<p>When a friend sends me a photograph of a vase, saying </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>是朋友的，</p>
</blockquote>

<p>and some months later presents it saying:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我朋友的</p>
</blockquote>

<p>should I then usually assume, that the friend became a girlfriend/boyfriend (like in modern German), or is it normally unrelated to this difference?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-07T08:32:58.523Z
@songyuanyao thanks. It is valuable to know I should not assume that in general.
Ludi
<meaning>
Are there differences between 朋友 and 我朋友 in modern Chinese?
# Are there differences between 朋友 and 我朋友 in modern Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-08-07)

When a friend sends me a photograph of a vase, saying

> 是朋友的，

and some months later presents it saying:

> 我朋友的

should I then usually assume, that the friend became a girlfriend/boyfriend (like in modern German), or is it normally unrelated to this difference?

**Tags:** meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: @songyuanyao thanks. It is valuable to know I should not assume that in general.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-08-07. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

In common context, the are literally the same.
But you can say the latter one shows 5% percent more friendship. 
Since in Chinese we often omit some obvious verbs, we can get the following equation:
我朋友的 = 是我朋友的 ~ 是朋友的

Technically they are different just like: 
tell the difference between : 

Q: where do you get this chair?
A: it's from my friend  /  from friend

People may argue about their difference. 
But As a Chinese, I would like to consider 我朋友的 and 是朋友的 the same thing under common context.


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-08-10. Score: 1

In your case, I cannot tell much difference.

The following are some use cases.

If you want to refer "particular people", use 我朋友. If you want to to refer "some people", 朋友 and 我朋友 are both OK.

Examples:

Not much difference in this context:

> 1. 我要去找朋友玩了。√
> 2. 我要去找我朋友玩了。√

Similar in English:

> 1. I am going to hang out with friends.
> 2. I am going to hang out with my friends.

But we use 我朋友 when introducing people.

> 1. 这是我朋友John. √
> 2. 这是朋友John. x
> 3. John是我朋友。√
> 4. John是朋友。 x

I guess it is also quite the similar in English:

> 1. This is friend John.√
> 2. This is my friend John. x

**If you want to emphasize its meaning, 我朋友 is** *usually* **better.**

To express your anger or worry,

> 你打碎的花瓶是我朋友的。

is better than

> 你打碎的花瓶是朋友的。

However, if you want to comfort the guy who broke the vase, you probably want to de-emphasize the meaning of it:

> Alice: 我打碎的花瓶是谁的啊？ Bob:是朋友的，不用担心

is slightly softer than

> Alice: 我打碎的花瓶是谁的啊？ Bob:是我朋友的，不用担心


---

