Meaning of 共同
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- common
- joint
- jointly
- together
- collaborative
How to use 共同
共同 is used before nouns to mean "common" or "shared," and before verbs to mean "jointly." Example: 我们有共同的爱好。(Wǒmen yǒu gòngtóng de àihào.) We have a common hobby.
共 (gòng) means "shared, together," and 同 (tóng) means "same," the same 同 you see in 同学 (tóngxué) and 同事 (tóngshì). Put them together and you get something many people share or do as one: common, joint, together.
Common mistake: Learners often use 共同 where 相同 (xiāngtóng) is needed. 相同 means "identical, the same," while 共同 means "shared by everyone," so say 我们的答案相同 (our answers are the same), not 我们的答案共同.
共同 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
共 gòng · common · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
同 tóng · like · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 共同.
| 同学 | tóngxué | to study at the same school; fellow student |
| 不同 | bù tóng | different; distinct |
| 同样 | tóngyàng | same; equal; similar; similarly; also; too |
| 同时 | tóngshí | at the same time; simultaneously |
| 同事 | tóngshì | colleague; co-worker |
| 相同 | xiāngtóng | identical; same |
| 一共 | yīgòng | in total; altogether |
| 公共汽车 | gōnggòng qìchē | bus |
| 同意 | tóngyì | to agree; to consent |
| 公共 | gōnggòng | public; common; communal |
| 共有 | gòngyǒu | in total there are ...; to own jointly |
| 同情 | tóngqíng | to sympathize with; sympathy |
Questions about 共同
What does 共同 mean?
共同 (gòngtóng) means "common; joint" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 共同?
共同 is made of 2 characters: 共 (6 strokes), 同 (6 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 共同 an HSK word?
Yes. 共同 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 共同 and 一起?
一起 (yìqǐ) is casual and everyday, as in 一起吃饭 (eat together). 共同 sounds more formal and suggests shared goals or effort, as in 共同努力 (work hard together) or 共同的目标 (a common goal).
Do I need 的 after 共同 before a noun?
Usually yes, as in 共同的朋友 (a mutual friend). In set phrases and formal writing 的 is often dropped, as in 共同点 (gòngtóngdiǎn, common ground) or 共同语言 (common language).