Meaning

Primary

Comrade

Alternative

Companion

Word Type

noun

Explanation

The relationship interval is very short between you and your comrades. You are companions who have been through thick and thin together, so there's no distance between you.

仲間 is one of those very Japanese words that's hard to translate directly into English. It's a warm word that refers to people you share something with, like work, hobbies, goals, or even struggles. 仲間 aren't necessarily friends in the "get a coffee and chat" sense, but they're people with whom you've built a strong and special bond based on a shared experience or sense of purpose.

Reading

なかま
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

You know the readings for both of these kanji. uses the same reading as always, and uses the reading, which you learned with 間もなく. Since has a few different readings, here's a mnemonic to help you remember to use the one:

Think through all your companions in your life. Imagine one of them is your Ma (). She's on your pirate crew, and a pretty awesome pirate.

Context

Patterns of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • 仲間になる

    to become a member of a group

    仲間に入る

    to join a group

Context Sentences

コウイチとは同じ会社の仲間です。

Koichi and I are companions from the same company.

このシャツはゴルフ仲間にもらったんだ。

I got this shirt from my golf buddy.

学校での厳しい一日を終えて、仲間たちとリラックスをした。

My group of friends and I relaxed after a hard day at school.

Kanji Composition