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 (AU)

  (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
• 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)

See also

• just friends
• LJBF
• nice guy syndrome

Further reading

• friend zone on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English friend zone.

Noun

friend zone f (invariable)

1. Alternative spelling of friendzone