コミュニティ
komyuniti[ko̞mʲɨɲ̟itʲi]
The English phrase 'community' is translated into Japanese as コミュニティ (komyuniti) or 共同体.
Meaning: group sharing a common understanding (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| コミュニティ | komyuniti | [ko̞mʲɨɲ̟itʲi] (narrow) |
| 共同体 | kyōdōtai | [kʲo̞ːdo̞ːta̠i] (narrow) |
コミュニティ is the most common way to refer to modern social groups, such as interest-based groups or online communities. 共同体 is a more formal, academic or sociological term used to describe a community or a collective body.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 共同体 is composed of 共同 (kyōdō), meaning 'cooperation' or 'joint' and 体 (tai), meaning 'body' or 'entity'.
Which one should you use?
While コミュニティ is a loanword used for general social groups, 共同体 is a formal term often associated with organizations, institutions or legal entities.
How do you pronounce it?
komyuniti
Did you know?
- When talking about online communities, Japanese speakers frequently use the term 界隈 (kaiwai), which literally means 'neighborhood' or 'surroundings'.
- Japanese has a specific concept called 結 (yui), which describes a traditional community system of mutual labor where villagers helped each other thatch roofs or plant rice.
- While English speakers often use 'community' to mean a sense of belonging, in Japanese, using 共同体 can sometimes carry a heavy, almost inescapable sense of duty to the collective.
Examples in context
- タトエバは、コミュニティーです。Tatoeba is a community.This sentence is useful for identifying a group as a コミュニティ.Tatoeba #10117823 by small_snow, translation #10022612 by espamatics
- ホテルは現在、地元の博物館兼コミュニティセンターとなっています。The hotel has now become a local museum and community center.This sentence shows how a location can function as a コミュニティ center.Tatoeba #10979802 by small_snow, translation #11357777 by pip
- 君はどこかのネットコミュニティに属しているの？Do you belong to an internet community?This sentence is useful for asking about membership in an internet コミュニティ.Tatoeba #1217554 by mookeee, translation #1229141 by Scott
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about local events in a cafe.
- 陽葵 Himariこの地域のコミュニティはとても活気があるね。Kono chiiki no komyuniti wa totemo kakki ga aru ne.The local community is very lively, isn't it?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、みんな協力的な人が多いよ。Un, minna kyoryokuteki na hito ga ooi yo.Yeah, there are many cooperative people.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太くんも何か参加しているの？Yota-kun mo nani ka sanka shite iru no?Are you participating in something too, Yota?
- 陽太 Yota地域のボランティア活動に参加しているよ。Chiiki no borantia katsudo ni sanka shite iru yo.I am participating in local volunteer activities.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “community” translations and entries コミュニティ, 共同体, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
