共同
Meaning in Englishcooperation, collaboration, joint work
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
共同 means joint, shared, or cooperative; it describes actions, properties, or arrangements that involve multiple parties working together or sharing a common purpose. In usage, it frames collaborative efforts and collective ownership rather than individual action.
Main meanings
- joint action or enterprise involving two or more parties
- shared ownership, responsibility, or purpose across people or groups
- forms part of compound nouns describing collective or cooperative concepts (for example, 共同体, 共同研究)
How to use it
Used in formal writing and everyday language; appears in compounds to denote cooperation or shared purpose such as 共同研究, 共同作業, and 共同声明. It can modify nouns as 共同の to mean 'joint' or 'collective' and is more formal than casual alternatives like 協力 or 一緒に.
Variants and close terms
- 協同 (kyōdō) – collaboration, joint effort
- 協力 (kyōryoku) – cooperation, assistance
- 共通 (kyōtsū) – common, shared
- 共同体 (kyōdōtai) – community, collective
Composition
- 共 = together, mutual
- 同 = same; when combined, express doing something jointly or for a shared purpose
Origin
Origin and historical usage: The term is a native Japanese compound using kanji; its use is attested in classical and modern texts to describe joint actions, shared resources, and collaborative efforts.
Word class
Noun (na-adjective) (共同の)