同僚
dōryō[do̞ːɾʲo̞ː]
The Japanese word for colleague is 同僚 (dōryō). Wiktionary also lists 同業者 (dōkyōsha).
Meaning: fellow member of a profession (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 同僚 | dōryō | [do̞ːɾʲo̞ː] (narrow) |
| 同業者 | dōkyōsha | [do̞ːɡʲo̞ːɕa̠] (narrow) |
同僚 is a common and neutral way to refer to a colleague or coworker. It specifically describes someone who works within your same specific organization or company.
Which one should you use?
While 同僚 refers to a coworker within the same organization, 同業者 (dōkyōsha) refers to someone in the same line of business or industry, even if they work for a different company.
How do you pronounce it?
dōryō
Did you know?
- While 同僚 is neutral, Japanese speakers often use 同期 (dōki) to describe colleagues who joined the company in the same hiring year. This creates a powerful bond that often transcends rank or department.
- When speaking to someone outside their company, a Japanese employee will refer to their 同僚 using humble language and omit honorifics, even if the colleague is their superior.
- The kanji 僚 in 同僚 historically referred to officials or attendants in a royal court. This reflects the ancient structure of bureaucracy that influenced the modern Japanese professional vocabulary.
Examples in context
- 彼らの同僚は海外の支店に転勤になった。Their colleague was transferred to an overseas branch.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe a colleague being transferred to an overseas branch using 同僚.Tatoeba #98421 by bunbuku, translation #398533 by Dejo
- 終業時間までまだ一時間もあるのに、同僚の順子はいそいそと帰り支度を始めた。Even though we still had an hour until closing time, my colleague Junko excitedly started getting ready to go home.This sentence shows the use of 同僚 when describing a coworker's actions near closing time.Tatoeba #1110574 by bunbuku, translation #8092943 by kedymera
- そして、そういいながら、自分を誘惑した男、戯談のようにいい寄った夫の同僚の一人、手を握った会社の課長、酔って接吻をしようとした親族の男などを、くだけた鏡に写っている記憶のように、きらきらと、閃かせた。Then, while saying this, the memories of the men who had seduced her, her husband's colleague who had approached her as if it were a joke, the section chief with whom she had held hands, her relative who she had tried to kiss while she was drunk, shined as if projected upon a broken mirror.This sentence demonstrates the use of 同僚 when referring to a person's husband's colleague.Tatoeba #596265 by Scott, translation #596266 by Scott
- お世話になっている同僚に感謝の気持ちを伝えたい。I want to express my gratitude to my colleagues who have been taking care of me.
- うちの会社の仲間はとてもチームワークがいい。The colleagues in our company have great teamwork.
Example conversation
Yui and Ren are chatting during a lunch break.
- 結衣 Yui蓮さんは同僚と仲が良いですか。Ren-san wa douryou to naka ga yoi desu ka.Do you get along well with your colleagues, Ren?
- 蓮 Renはい、同僚のみんなとても優しいです。Hai, douryou no minna totemo yasashii desu.Yes, all of my colleagues are very kind.
- 結衣 Yuiそれはいいですね。Sore wa ii desu ne.That's nice.
- 蓮 Ren結衣さんの同僚はどうですか。Yui-san no douryou wa dou desu ka.How about your colleagues, Yui?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “colleague” translations and entries 同僚, 同業者, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
