僚りょう友ゆう

りょ

う

ゆ

う

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

colleague; workmate; comrade

A somewhat formal or literary term for a fellow worker or companion in the same profession or organization. In everyday speech, 同僚 is more common.

彼かれは長なが年ねんの僚りょう友ゆうであり、

互たが

い

に

信しん

頼らい

し

て

いる

。

He is a longtime colleague, and we trust each other.

職しょく場ばの僚りょう友ゆうと協きょう力りょくしてプロジェクトを進すすめた。

I worked on the project in cooperation with my workmates.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉の僚りょう友ゆうsomeone's colleague/comrade
彼かれは長なが年ねんの僚りょう友ゆうを失うしなって深ふかく悲かなしんでいる。
He is deeply saddened to have lost his longtime colleague.
〈人ひと〉と僚りょう友ゆうの間あいだ柄がらになるto become colleagues/comrades with someone
同おなじ研けん究きゅう室しつで働はたらくうちに、二人ふたりは僚りょう友ゆうの間あいだ柄がらになった。

Kanji

僚colleague, official, companion
友friend

Related words

同どう僚りょうN3
同僚 is the everyday, neutral word for a coworker, while 僚友 is a more formal or literary term for a fellow worker or comrade.
戦せん友ゆう
戦友 specifically means a comrade-in-arms from shared battle or hardship, whereas 僚友 refers more broadly to a colleague in the same profession or organization.
仲なか間まN3
仲間 is a common, casual word for companions or a group one belongs to, while 僚友 is a formal, literary term reserved for professional colleagues.

Don't confuse with

良りょう友ゆう
良友 (also read りょうゆう) means 'a good friend,' a personal relationship, whereas 僚友 means 'colleague' or 'fellow worker' in a professional context.

Etymology

Compound of 僚 (colleague, official) and 友 (friend). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination conventionally conveys the meaning of a fellow worker or companion.

Working in the same lab, the two of them became close colleagues.