Songs & Music · Jackie Chan · Study Guide
朋友 — Friend
Péng yǒu
Why Learn With This Song
朋友 is one of Jackie Chan's most accessible songs for language learners. The vocabulary stays within the everyday register — words like 了解, 分享, 珍惜, and 思念 are high-frequency words that appear across spoken conversation, writing, and media. The song is particularly useful for beginner-intermediate learners because the grammar structures are clear and relatively simple, while the vocabulary covers the essential emotional register of Chinese friendship and relationship language.
Key Vocabulary
| 汉字 | Pīnyīn | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 朋友 | péng yǒu | friend | The most common word for friend. 好朋友 = good friend. 老朋友 = old friend |
| 了解 | liǎo jiě | to understand, to know well | Deeper than 知道 (to know a fact). 了解一个人 = to really know/understand a person |
| 信任 | xìn rèn | to trust, trust (n.) | 信 = to believe/trust; 任 = to rely on. 建立信任 = to build trust |
| 分享 | fēn xiǎng | to share (joy, experience, etc.) | 分 = to divide; 享 = to enjoy. 分享快乐 = to share happiness. Common in modern usage |
| 记忆 | jì yì | memory (noun) | 记 = to remember; 忆 = recollection. 美好的记忆 = beautiful memories |
| 思念 | sī niàn | to miss, to long for someone | 思 = to think of; 念 = to miss/recite. More literary than 想念; often for people far away |
| 珍惜 | zhēn xī | to treasure, to cherish | 珍 = precious; 惜 = to value/be reluctant to part with. 珍惜时间 = to cherish time |
| 真诚 | zhēn chéng | sincere, genuine | 真 = real/true; 诚 = sincere/honest. 真诚相待 = to treat each other sincerely |
| 相聚 | xiāng jù | to gather together, to reunite | 相 = each other/mutually; 聚 = to gather. 期待相聚 = looking forward to meeting again |
| 别离 | bié lí | parting, separation | More formal/literary than just 分开. Common in songs and poetry. 离别 is the reversed form |
| 天涯 | tiān yá | horizon, ends of the earth, far away | 天 = sky; 涯 = edge/border. 天涯海角 = the farthest corners of the earth (chengyu) |
| 情谊 | qíng yì | friendship, fellow feeling, bond | 情 = feeling/affection; 谊 = friendship/goodwill. More formal than 友情 or 友谊 |
Annotated Verses (First 2 Verses)
Verse 1
朋友一生一起走
Péng yǒu yī shēng yī qǐ zǒu
Friends walk together throughout a lifetime
Grammar note: 一生 = one life / a lifetime (一 = one; 生 = life). 一起 = together. 走 = to walk — here metaphorical (to go through life). The sentence uses an adverbial chain: 一生 (for how long) + 一起 (how) + 走 (verb).
那些日子不再有
Nà xiē rì zi bù zài yǒu
Those days will not come again
Grammar note: 那些 = those (plural demonstrative: 那 + 些 measure word for general plurals). 日子 = days/times (more personal/lived than 时间). 不再有 = will not have again (不再 = no longer/not again + 有 = to have/exist).
Verse 2
一句话，一辈子
Yī jù huà, yī bèi zi
One word, one lifetime
Grammar note:A nominative sentence with no verb — extremely common in Chinese for poetic effect. 一句话 = one sentence/word (一 + 句 measure word for sentences + 话 = speech/words). 一辈子 = one lifetime (辈子 = generation of one's life). The parallelism 一X, 一Y is a classic Chinese rhetorical pattern.
一生情，一杯酒
Yī shēng qíng, yī bēi jiǔ
A lifetime of feeling, one cup of wine
Grammar note: Continues the 一X, 一Y parallelism pattern. 一生情 = lifelong sentiment/feeling. 一杯酒 = one cup of wine — in Chinese culture, drinking together seals friendship and brotherhood. 杯 is the measure word for cups: 一杯 = one cup.
Note: Only the first two verses are annotated here in line with our educational fair-use approach.
Cultural Context
朋友 is one of the most sung karaoke (KTV) songs across mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. The song captures a central theme in Chinese social culture: the deep, loyal bonds of male friendship, often cemented over shared meals and drinks. The image of 一杯酒 (one cup of wine) sealing a friendship is a reference to 义气 culture — the sworn brotherhood tradition that runs through Chinese literature from the Three Kingdoms to modern gangster films.
The song is also noteworthy for its lyrical simplicity. Unlike Jackie Chan's more classical compositions, 朋友 uses vocabulary almost entirely within HSK 2–3 range, making it one of the most beginner-accessible pieces in his catalogue.
Listen to This Song
Search for “朋友 成龙” on YouTube — there are many live performance and studio uploads.
Search on YouTube →We recommend listening while following along with the annotations above.