friend zone

See also: friendzone and friend-zone

English

Alternative forms

• friendzone, friend-zone

Etymology

Popularized by a 1994 episode of the American sitcom Friends.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈfɹɛnd zəʊn/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈfɹɛnd zoʊn/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

friend zone (plural friend zones)

1. (slang) The situation in which one is viewed by a potential partner as a platonic friend, which complicates the initiation of a romantic relationship.
   • 1996, Chris Rock: Bring the Pain, Chris Rock (actor):

     Every platonic friend I got is some woman I was tryin' to fuck, I made a wrong turn somewhere, and ended up in the friend zone.

   • 2005, Terry Dennis, The Manual:

     Once in a while, you will find yourself stuck in the friend zone. Don't panic, you are not alone.

   • 2007, Helen Salter, Does Snogging Count as Exercise?:

     “Stuck in the Friend Zone,” said Sasha wisely, although I don't think she's dipped a toe in the Friend Zone in her life.

Coordinate terms

• romance zone

Descendants

• → Italian: friendzone

Translations

situation

• Arabic: خَانَة الصَدَاقَة f (ḵāna(t) aṣ-ṣadāqa)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 朋友區間 / 朋友区间 (péngyou qūjiān)

• Dutch: vriendenzone m, friendzone (nl) m
• Esperanto: amikzono
• Finnish: kaverisektori (fi)
• French: friendzone (fr) f
• German: Friendzone (de) f
• Greek: φρεντ ζόουν n (frent zóoun), φιλική ζώνη f (filikí zóni)
• Hebrew: פרינדזון m
• Icelandic: ^{(please verify)} vinasvæði n
• Italian: friendzone (it) f, zona amici f
• Japanese: フレンドゾーン (furendozōn)
• Korean: 어장관리 (eojanggwalli) (from the rejecter's perspective)
• Lombard: zòna amis f
• Polish: friendzone m
• Portuguese: zona de amizade f, friendzone (pt) f
• Russian: френдзо́на (ru) f (frendzóna), зо́на дру́жбы f (zóna drúžby)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: пријатељска зо́на f

  Roman: prijateljska zóna f

• Spanish: zona de amigos f, zona de amistad f, zona amical f, zona amistosa f
• Ukrainian: френдзо́на f (frendzóna)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

Verb

friend zone (third-person singular simple present friend zones, present participle friend zoning, simple past and past participle friend zoned)

1. (slang, transitive) To classify as a friend, without any possibility of a romantic relationship.
   • 2015, Wendy Higgins, chapter 1, in Sweet Temptation, HarperCollins, →ISBN:

     The bloke tries to get her attention back, but I've friendzoned him. Poor guy. I do feel bad for the ones who have to try so hard.

   • 2019, Ira Trivedi, Sachin Bhatia, chapter 1, in The Desi Guide to Dating, Harper Collins, →ISBN:

     While being friendzoned is not a problem, what can be a problem is if it's not clear to both people that ONLY friendship and nothing more is on offer.

Derived terms

• friendzoner

Descendants

• → Italian: friendzonare

Translations

to classify as a friend with no possibility of a romantic relationship

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 發朋友卡 / 发朋友卡

• Finnish: luokitella kaverisektoriin
• French: friendzoner (fr)
• Italian: friendzonare (it)
• Polish: friendzonować
• Portuguese: colocar/deixar na friendzone
• Russian: френдзо́нить (frendzónitʹ)
• Spanish: querer solamente como amigo, clasificar como amigo no más, marginar a la zona amical, relegar a la zona amistosa

See also

• just friends
• LJBF
• nice guy syndrome

Further reading

• friend zone on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English friend zone.

Noun

friend zone f (plural friends zones)

1. Alternative spelling of friendzone
   • 2019 May 9, Pauline Machado, “Pourquoi la fuck zone est bien plus laide que la friend zone”, in Terra Femina‎^[1]:

     L’autre différence avec la friend zone, au-delà de la volonté parfois oppressante de rapport physique, c’est aussi le manque d’honnêteté.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English friend zone.

Noun

friend zone f (invariable)

1. Alternative spelling of friendzone