Word
共通
Meaning in Englishcommon, shared, mutual
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 共通 mean? It denotes something shared or common to two or more items or people. In Japanese usage it frames traits, objectives, or properties that are held by a group and relevant across contexts, such as shared goals, points of similarity, or collective understandings.
Main meanings
- Shared by multiple items or people in a group
- In mathematics or logic, the element or attribute that is common to several sets or concepts
- Describing features, norms, or understandings that are generally held within a community or domain
How to use it
Used in formal and written contexts to express shared attributes, such as 共通の目的, 共通の理解; in everyday speech it explains similarities across items, groups, or ideas. It commonly appears with の when modifying a noun (共通の…).
Variants and close terms
- 同一性 (dōitsusei) — sameness
- 一致 (icchi) — agreement, consistency
- 共有 (kyōyū) — shared ownership
- 異なる (kotonaru) — different, antonym
Composition
- 共: shared, together; common
- 通: to pass through, to connect; used in compounds to convey throughness or connectivity, contributing to the sense of something that is shared or common
Etymology
共 kyō + 通 tsū → kyōtsū, illustrating how the two on'yomi readings fuse to produce the pronunciation of the compound.
Word class
noun, used as a na-adjective when modifying nouns (共通の)
Related words by kanji and components
N2
交通機関
koutsuukikan
transportation facilities
N2
透き通る
sukitooru
to be(come) transparent
N2
直通
chokutsuu
direct connection
N2
通ずる
tsuuzuru
to lead, to run, to open
N2
通用
tsuuyou
popular use, circulation
N2
通路
tsuuro
passage, pathway
N2
通り掛かる
toorikakaru
to happen to pass by
N2
一通り
hitotoori
general, briefly
N2
人通り
hitodoori
pedestrian traffic