Example sentences
tā他shì是wǒ我de的hǎo好péng朋yǒu友。
He's my good friend.
péng朋yǒu友lái来le了。
A friend has come.
The story behind the character
朋
The earliest 朋 is two strings of cowrie shells hanging together. Shells were money, so 朋 was a unit of currency. Ten shells made one 朋. "Friends" were people who studied and spent money together. Your 朋友, at the literal root, is two strings of cash.
友
Two 又 (hands), joined together. Xu Shen wrote 友, 同志为友: "those who share a purpose are friends." Two people holding hands. That's friendship, so simple it needs no explaining.