同どう窓そう

ど

う

そ

う

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

same school graduate; fellow alumnus

Refers to the relationship of having graduated from the same school, or a person with that relationship. Often used in the phrase 同窓会 (alumni reunion).

彼かれは私わたしの大だい学がくの同どう窓そうです。
He is a fellow alumnus of my university.
来らい月げつ、同どう窓そう会かいが開ひらかれる。
An alumni reunion will be held next month.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉と同どう窓そうだto be a fellow alumnus of the same school as someone
彼かれとは大だい学がくで同どう窓そうだ。
He and I are alumni of the same university.
同どう窓そうの〈人ひと〉a person who graduated from the same school
同どう窓そうの友ゆう人じんに久ひさしぶりに会あった。
I met a friend from the same school after a long time.

Kanji

同same, agree, equal
窓window, pane

Related words

同どう級きゅう生せいN1
同級生 means a classmate in the same grade or class, while 同窓 refers specifically to someone who graduated from the same school, regardless of grade.
校こう友ゆう
校友 is a more formal or literary term for a schoolmate or alumnus, often used in university contexts, whereas 同窓 is the everyday word for this relationship.

Don't confuse with

同どう郷きょうN1
同郷 means people share the same hometown or region, while 同窓 means people attended the same school, so the two are often mixed up because both start with 同 and describe a shared background.
同どう級きゅうN1
同窓 means being alumni of the same school (regardless of year), while 同級 means being in the same grade or class as someone.

Word family

同どう窓そう会かいN1
alumni association; class reunion
同どう窓そう生せい
fellow alumnus; graduate of the same school; former schoolmate

Etymology

Compound of 同 (same) and 窓 (window), originally referring to students who studied under the same window, i.e., the same school.