Skip to content
Kotomora

曹

office, official, comrade, fellow

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes11

Readings

On'yomi

  • ソウ
  • ゾウ

Kun'yomi

—

Meaning

曹 centers on a group of people working together in an official capacity: an office, its officials, or comrades and fellows within that group.

Most common words using 曹

20 of 48
  • 軍曹ぐんそう

    sergeant

  • 曹長そうちょう

    master sergeant; sergeant major (JSDF)

  • 御曹司おんぞうし

    son of a distinguished family; son of a noble

  • 重曹じゅうそう

    baking soda; bicarbonate of soda; sodium bicarbonate

  • 法曹ほうそう

    legal profession; judicial officer; lawyer; attorney

  • 曹そう

    palace room for government officials

  • 兵曹へいそう

    warrant soldier

  • 曹洞宗そうとうしゅう

    Soto school (of Zen Buddhism)

  • 法曹界ほうそうかい

    legal circles

  • 一曹いっそう

    master sergeant (JGSDF)

  • 一等兵曹いっとうへいそう

    chief petty officer (IJN); petty officer first class (US Navy)

  • 一等空曹いっとうくうそう

    master sergeant (JASDF)

  • 一等軍曹いっとうぐんそう

    sergeant first-class

  • 一等陸曹いっとうりくそう

    master sergeant (JGSDF)

  • 三曹さんそう

    sergeant (JGSDF)

  • 三等兵曹さんとうへいそう

    petty officer third class (USN)

  • 三等空曹さんとうくうそう

    staff sergeant (JASDF)

  • 三等軍曹さんとうぐんそう

    sergeant

  • 三等陸曹さんとうりくそう

    sergeant (JGSDF); sergeant second class

  • 上等兵曹じょうとうへいそう

    chief petty officer

Explore all words using 曹 →

Study

Etymology

曹 originally depicted two bundles or sacks (東) side by side, later simplified to the modern form with 曰 below. It came to mean a pair or group, and by extension an official bureau or colleagues.

Meaning mnemonic

The top looks like two officials standing side by side, and the bottom 曰 suggests a desk or office. Together, 曹 is a group of comrades in an official setting.

Reading mnemonic

For ソウ, imagine all the comrades in the office sighing together: 'Sou...' (ソウ) as they start their workday.