Chinese word

熟人

Pronunciation

Pinyinshú rén

Meaning

  • nounacquaintance

Example

他只是我的熟人，不是朋友。tā zhǐ shì wǒ de shú rén bú shì péng yǒu

He is just an acquaintance of mine, not a friend.

Illustration for 熟人 (acquaintance)

More examples

我通过熟人找到了这份工作。wǒ tōng guò shú rén zhǎo dào le zhè fèn gōng zuò

I found this job through an acquaintance.

Core concept

A person known through some contact but kept at a social distance.

Common phrases

  • 通过熟人tōng guò shú rén

    through an acquaintance

  • 找熟人zhǎo shú rén

    turn to an acquaintance

  • 和熟人联系hé shú rén lián xì

    contact an acquaintance

Similar words

朋友péng yǒu: A close and trusted person who often spends time with you.
同事tóng shì: A person who works at the same workplace.
同学tóng xué: A person who studies at the same school or in the same class.
陌生人mò shēng rén: A person who is completely unknown and has not been met before.

Definition in Chinese

与自己认识并有过接触但不算亲密的人。yǔ zì jǐ rèn shí bìng yǒu guò jiē chù dàn bú suàn qīn mì de rén

Word origin

熟人 (shúrén, "acquaintance") combines 熟 (shú, "familiar") with 人 (rén, "person"), so it names someone familiar rather than a stranger.

Usage tips

  • At a school, workplace, or local shop, this word can identify someone recognized from repeated encounters even when the two people rarely talk.

Other meanings

  • familiar facenoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 熟人关系shú rén guān xìacquaintance relationshipnoun
  • 熟人圈shú rén quāncircle of acquaintancesnoun

Word lists with this word