How do you say "I was invited by a friend." in Japanese?

"I was invited by a friend." in Japanese is "友だちにさそわれました。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

What does "友だちにさそわれました。" mean in English?

"友だちにさそわれました。" means "I was invited by a friend." in English. Usage tip: Passive form: [さそう] → [さそわれました]. [友だちに] marks the inviter (by/ from).

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How to Say ‘I was invited by a friend.’ in Japanese

友だちにさそわれました。

tomodachi ni sasowa re mashi ta

[toh-moh-dah-chee nee sah-soh-wah reh mah-shee tah]

💬 Usage Tip: Passive form: [さそう] → [さそわれました]. [友だちに] marks the inviter (by/ from).

🇯🇵 In Japan: In Japan it’s common to attend events because a friend invited you—this answer sounds natural and modest.

Phrase Breakdown

友だち

tomodachi

[toh-moh-dah-chee]

friend

Casual word for a friend. Polite/neutral: 友だち; often written 友達.

Example

友だちと映画を見ます。

I watch a movie with a friend.

に

[nee]

by; to (particle)

In passive sentences, に can mark the doer (agent): 友だちにさそわれました (“was invited by a friend”).

Example

先生にほめられました。

I was praised by the teacher.

さそわ

sasowa

[sah-soh-wah]

invite (verb stem)

From さそう (to invite). This is the stem used to build forms like さそわれました (was invited).

Example

友だちをさそわない。

I won’t invite my friend.

れ

[reh]

passive marker (was …-ed)

れ is used to form the passive voice with many verbs: さそう → さそわれる (“be invited”).

Example

友だちにさそわれました。

I was invited by a friend.

まし

mashi

[mah-shee]

polite past marker part (〜ました)

Part of 〜ました, making the sentence polite.

Example

友だちに会いました。

I met my friend.

た

[tah]

past tense ending (polite)

Completes 〜ました to indicate past, polite.

Example

友だちに電話しました。

I called my friend.

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