<p>Chinese don't usually use the term "mutual acquaintance" (共同的相识)</p>

<p>The more common way to describe a mutual acquaintance would be like the example below:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Tony is a [<strong>mutual acquaintance</strong>] of you and I</p>
  
  <p>托尼是你跟我[<strong>都認識的熟人</strong>] (Mandarin) <em>Tony is an acquaintance of both you and I</em></p>
  
  <p>東尼係你同我[<strong>都識得嘅熟人</strong>] (Cantonese) <em>Tony is an acquaintance of both you and I</em></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-20T02:09:01.303Z
2018-08-20T02:09:01.303Z
Tang Ho
<p>According to how <em>mutual acquaintance</em> is often <a href="https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/146957/how-do-you-express-having-a-mutual-acquaintance-when-you-introduce-yourself">used</a>, it should mean 共同的相识。</p>

<p>Acquaintance is not yet a friend, a friend is 朋友，an acquaintance is 相识的人。</p>

<p>I am not sure how you speak in Cantonese, but they write the same.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-20T01:31:33.520Z
2018-08-20T01:31:33.520Z
zyy
<p>Chinese denotes the concept("<strong>mutual acquaintance</strong>") differently. These are the idiomatic sentences in mandarin:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我们两个都认识他 // both of us have an acquaintance with him. Or he is a mutual acquaintance of ours. </p>
  
  <p>张三和李四都和我相识 // both 张三 and 李四 have an acquaintance with me. </p>
  
  <p>张三和李四都认识王五 // both 张三 and 李四 have an acquaintance with 王五.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>However, when it comes to the term "<strong>mutual friend</strong>", you can put 共同的朋友. For example, </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>张三是我们共同的朋友 // 张三 is a mutual friend of ours.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-20T05:43:26.247Z
2018-08-20T08:12:43.550Z
2018-08-20T08:12:43.550Z
dan
<p>Which would be the more authentic Mandarin translation for "mutual acquaintance":</p>

<p>1) 共同朋友
2) 相識朋友?</p>

<p>Is it the same for Cantonese?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-20T06:20:40.473Z
像是？(共有)＂相识＂ mistyped？
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-20T06:31:39.850Z
@user6065 you're right! thanks for the heads-up.
Crashalot
<mandarin><cantonese>
Would "mutual acquaintance" in Mandarin be 共同朋友 or 相識朋友?
# Would "mutual acquaintance" in Mandarin be 共同朋友 or 相識朋友?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-08-20)

Which would be the more authentic Mandarin translation for "mutual acquaintance":

1) 共同朋友
2) 相識朋友?

Is it the same for Cantonese?

**Tags:** mandarin, cantonese

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 像是？(共有)＂相识＂ mistyped？  
> **username_0**: @username_1 you're right! thanks for the heads-up.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-08-20. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Chinese denotes the concept("**mutual acquaintance**") differently. These are the idiomatic sentences in mandarin:

> 我们两个都认识他 // both of us have an acquaintance with him. Or he is a mutual acquaintance of ours.
>
> 张三和李四都和我相识 // both 张三 and 李四 have an acquaintance with me.
>
> 张三和李四都认识王五 // both 张三 and 李四 have an acquaintance with 王五.

However, when it comes to the term "**mutual friend**", you can put 共同的朋友. For example,

> 张三是我们共同的朋友 // 张三 is a mutual friend of ours.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2018-08-20. Score: 2

Chinese don't usually use the term "mutual acquaintance" (共同的相识)

The more common way to describe a mutual acquaintance would be like the example below:

> Tony is a [**mutual acquaintance**] of you and I
>
> 托尼是你跟我[**都認識的熟人**] (Mandarin) *Tony is an acquaintance of both you and I*
>
> 東尼係你同我[**都識得嘅熟人**] (Cantonese) *Tony is an acquaintance of both you and I*


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### Answer by username_3 on 2018-08-20. Score: 1

According to how *mutual acquaintance* is often [used](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/146957/how-do-you-express-having-a-mutual-acquaintance-when-you-introduce-yourself), it should mean 共同的相识。

Acquaintance is not yet a friend, a friend is 朋友，an acquaintance is 相识的人。

I am not sure how you speak in Cantonese, but they write the same.


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