Refers to people who share the same purpose, status, or activity; often used in a somewhat formal or literary context. Can carry a neutral or slightly negative nuance depending on context, similar to 'brethren' or 'lot'.
He started a new venture together with comrades who share the same aspiration.
Rough fellows were gathered at the tavern.
Standard kanji form. The character 輩 is also used in words like 先輩 (senpai) and 後輩 (kōhai), but here it is read ともがら.
Rare alternative kanji; not commonly used in modern Japanese.
Derived from classical Japanese ともがら, originally meaning 'companions' or 'fellows'. The kanji 輩 is used phonetically and semantically, as it also appears in words like 先輩 (senior) and 後輩 (junior), indicating a group or category of people.