同 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N4)
What it means
At its heart, 同 is all about things being the same, equal, or shared. You'll meet it in two roles: as the standalone word 同じ ("the same"), and as a building block inside lots of compounds that imply "together" or "shared" — 同時 ("the same time"), 同意 ("agreement," literally "same opinion"), 同級生 ("classmate," a "same-class student"), and 同僚 ("colleague," a "same workplace" person). The handy payoff is that whenever you spot 同 in an unfamiliar word, you can bet it carries a sense of sameness or togetherness — an instant head start on the meaning.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | おな.じ | 同じ (the same), 同じく (likewise) |
| on'yomi | ドウ | 同時 (same time), 同意 (agreement), 同級生 (classmate), 同僚 (colleague) |
Here's a rule of thumb that works for most kanji, not just this one: the kun'yomi (おな.じ) shows up when the kanji stands more or less alone with a hiragana ending, while the on'yomi (ドウ) appears inside two-kanji compound words. So 同じ uses おな.じ, but 同時 and 同意 both flip to ドウ. Spotting that pattern early helps you guess readings for kanji you haven't even studied yet.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 6. Write the outer frame first — the top horizontal stroke, then the left downstroke and the bend that forms the box — then fill in the short horizontal inside, and finally the small 口 ("mouth") at the bottom.
- Radical: the classifying radical is 口 (mouth), the little box tucked inside at the bottom. The 口 here doesn't carry a strong "mouth" meaning of its own; think of it more as the part of the shape that anchors 同 in the dictionary.
A quick shape tip: picture an open frame with a small box sealed underneath — everything lined up and matching, which fits the "same / identical" idea nicely.
Common words using 同
Notice the reading split in action: the lone word 同じ takes おな.じ, while every compound (同時, 同意, 同級生, 同僚, 同年) flips to ドウ. That's the rule of thumb above, working exactly as advertised.
Example sentences
ヤッタンとモチは同じクラスです。
ヤッタンと モチは おなじ クラスです。
Yattan and Mochi are in the same class.
同じ — the kun'yomi おな.じ reading. Note it drops な before a noun: 同じクラス, not 同じなクラス。
先生とヤッタンは同時に「やった！」と言いました。
せんせいと ヤッタンは どうじに「やった！」と いいました。
Sensei and Yattan said 'Yatta!' at the same time.
同時 uses the on'yomi ドウ — a compound reading.
弟はヤッタンの同級生で、二人の意見はいつも同意します。
おとうとは ヤッタンの どうきゅうせいで、ふたりの いけんは いつも どういします。
My little brother is Yattan's classmate, and the two of them always agree.
Two on'yomi compounds in one line: 同級生 and 同意, both ドウ.
Quick recap
- 同 = same / identical; 6 strokes; radical is 口 (mouth).
- おな.じ when it stands alone (同じ); ドウ in compounds (同時, 同意, 同僚).
- Irregular point: 同じ behaves like a な-adjective but drops the な directly before a noun — say 同じ本, never 同じな本.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 同 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 同 in 同じ vs 同時?
In 同じ it's the kun'yomi おな (同じ = おなじ, 'the same'). In 同時 it's the on'yomi ドウ (同時 = どうじ, 'at the same time'). As a rule, two-kanji compounds take the on'yomi.
Why is 同じ written without な before a noun?
同じ looks and behaves much like a な-adjective, but it's irregular: it drops the な directly before a noun. So you say 同じ本 ('the same book'), not 同じな本. The な does come back in some patterns, such as 同じなのに ('even though it's the same').
How many strokes does 同 have, and what's its radical?
同 has 6 strokes. Its classifying radical is 口 ('mouth'), the small box at the bottom inside the frame.
What's the difference between 同僚 and 同級生?
Both use 同 (ドウ) for 'same.' 同僚 (どうりょう) is a colleague — someone at the same workplace. 同級生 (どうきゅうせい) is a classmate — someone in the same school grade or class.