There probably aren’t many people on Earth who haven’t, at least once, come across the legendary sitcomFriends. It’s been dubbed in nearly every language around the world and has managed to become a safe haven for audiences. Everyone has found a character they can somehow relate to. We watch them go on thebest and worst datesever, we collectively wonder how the characters managed to survive in 90sNew York with those salaries, and we also fight over whether Rachel should haveleft for Parisor stayed with Ross.
TrueFriendsfans also don’t miss a chance to recite the characters’ iconic lines every chance they get, even after almost 20 years of being off-air. Whether it’s a Phoebe quip or a sarcastic remark from Chandler,Friendssaw no shortage of quotable material.
Update July 29, 2025: Following the tragic paccis of actor Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing on Friends, this article has been updated with more great quotes from Friends as fans mourn the loss.
17“Joey doesn’t share food!"
Warner Bros. Television
Starting off strong, we can’t possibly leave out a quote that demonstrates the deep-rooted love Joey has always had for food. Known as a playboy, a foodie, and someone who needs an extra second to catch up on the situation, Joey has always been the one to bring child-like humor toFriends. Even though he’d go to the end of the world for his friends, food is where Joey draws the line.
In this particular scene, he was retelling his bad date experience to his buddies. Joey’s date didn’t order much but then kept eating from his plate. The foodie explained that no matter the circumstances, he just doesn’t share food!
Friends: Joey’s Most Memorable Catchphrases
Joey Tribbiani is beloved for his love of food, women, and his closest friends. Here are his most iconic catchphrases from the series.
16"See? He’s her lobster."
It is no secret that Phoebe has been onboard the Ross and Rachel ship since the very beginning. She was adamant that much like lobsters who pair and mate for life, Rachel and Ross will always end up back together no matter what. Her delightful exclamation of “He’s her lobster!” is a show of that support and love. And even though there were a lot of ups and downs in their relationship over the years, Ross and Rachel proved Phoebe right in the end.
15“Unagi is a total state of awareness.”
If there was a character who is the perfect embodiment of mansplaining, it’d definitely be Ross Geller. Only over time have we realized how fragile Ross' masculinity had always been. The perfect example is the episode “The One With Unagi.” Phoebe and Rachel decide to start taking and practicing self-defense classes.
Ross overhears it and claims that to always be prepared, they have to be in “the state of total awareness,” also called “unagi.” When Phoebe and Rachel try telling him that “unagi” is a type of sushi specifically made with freshwater eel, he’s still determined to prove his point. In the end, it only helps deepen his loser status.
14“How do you expect me to grow, if you don’t let me blow?”
It wouldn’t be a properFriendslist if we didn’t include at least one dirty joke that might have gone over our heads when we were younger. The sitcom took some feminist rhetoric seriously, while others were played as the butt of the joke. In the second season, Phoebe and Monica convince Rachel to read a feminist book called “Be Your Own Windkeeper,” which states that all men do is steal our wind. When Ross comes to pick Rachel up for the movies, she accuses him of ordering her around. And then, she says the famous line: “How do you expect me to grow if you won’t let me blow?” Of course, she meant “blow” in relation to wind, but it fit the situation.
13"I’m not great at the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?"
We can all agree that Matthew Perry’s Chandler Bing was one of the funniest and most relatable characters to have ever appeared on American television. He uses his sharp sense of humor to shield himself from the world and often ends up in unfavorable situations because of his inability to be open about his feelings. One of these times was when Rachel was upset and vented to Chandler, but he, in all honesty, told her that all he can offer is a sarcastic comment.
12“I wish I could, but I don’t want to.”
Phoebe Buffay might just be one of the most relatable characters in the history of television. Back then, everyone used to perceive her as the quirky and weird one, but over time, we’ve realized she’s the perfect representation of today’s younger generation. One thing about Phoebe that’s always been greatly adored is her blunt honesty. She doesn’t hold back and pretty much doesn’t know how to lie. We establish that right in the first episode: when everyone agrees to help Ross move his furniture after his divorce, Phoebe straight up says, “I wish I could, but I don’t want to,” without any further explanation.
11“Welcome to the real world! It sucks. You’re gonna love it!”
Monica has always been sort of like a mother figure to the whole friend group. Despite falling into the same age category as the others, she carries a responsible adult-like aura around her at all times. We can see that right in the first episode when Rachel decides to run to her for help, after she escapes from her own wedding.
Monica appears to have her life together, while Rachel is still very dependent on her parents. Monica takes her under her wing, and helps her stand up on her own feet. This quote was the perfect way to start off the premise of the series.
10"Why can’t parents just stay parents? You know? Why do they have to become people?"
As a person who began becoming an adult at the age of 25, Rachel Green had a lot to come to terms with after she finally started facing the real world. One of these things was the fact that our parents are indeed people with follies and not the superheroes we grow up looking up to. And even though it took a little time for Rachel to see that for herself, she did handle the situation quite well.
9“I don’t even have a ‘pla.'”
Speaking of Phoebe’s relatability, “I don’t even have a ‘pla-'” is the perfect way to describe how many Millennials and Gen Zs feel these days. Rachel is having a life crisis and asks her best friends, Monica and Phoebe, if they have a plan for the future. Although they were trying to comfort Rachel seconds ago when asked the question, the duo starts realizing that not everything is as okay as it seemed. They slowly sink into a bad mood and come to terms with the fact that they don’t even have a part of a plan, let alone the whole deal.
Friends: How the Beloved Series Was Often Problematic
With the world being more aware of the problematic portrayals of certain topics, it might be reasonable to reevaluate Friends’ problematic moments.
8“If I were a guy and…Did I just say ‘If I were a guy?'”
Throughout the whole series, a running joke was claiming that Chandler is, in fact, gay. He’s often portrayed enjoying what society refers to as “feminine” hobbies, or we see him “thinking like a woman.” This is precisely when our beloved series got problematic. Instead of juggling the possibility of Chandler being bisexual, he was made the butt of the joke whenever he didn’t follow the prescribed notions of toxic masculinity. He’d say things like this quote, and the audience would burst out laughing.
