Japanese symbol for “colleague”
仲間
なかま
Romaji: nakama
companion; fellow; friend; mate
In Japanese, colleague is 仲間, read なかま (nakama).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n companion; fellow; friend; mate; comrade; partner
- n group; company; circle; set; gang
- n member of the same category (family, class)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “colleague”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 同僚 | どうりょう douryou | coworker; co-worker; colleague |
| 僚友 | りょうゆう ryouyuu | colleague; workmate; comrade |
| 同人 | どうじん doujin | coterie; clique; fraternity |
| 同役 | どうやく douyaku | colleague |
| 社友 | しゃゆう shayuu | colleague; company friend |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 仲良く | なかよく nakayoku | on good terms (with); on friendly terms (with); (getting along) well |
| 仲介 | ちゅうかい chuukai | agency; intermediation |
| 仲良し | なかよし nakayoshi | close friendship; close friend; good friend |
| 仲裁 | ちゅうさい chuusai | arbitration; intercession; mediation |
| 仲人 | なこうど nakoudo | matchmaker |
| 時間 | じかん jikan | time |
| 人間 | にんげん ningen | human being; human; person |
| 期間 | きかん kikan | period; term; interval |
See also: Chinese symbol for “colleague”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.