Chinese word

同事

Pronunciation

Pinyintóng shì

Meaning

  • nouncolleague

Example

我的同事很友好。wǒ de tóng shì hěn yóu hǎo

My colleague is very friendly.

Illustration for 同事 (colleague)

More examples

她向同事请教工作问题。tā xiàng tóng shì qǐng jiào gōng zuò wèn tí

She asks her colleague for advice about a work problem.

Core concept

A fellow worker sharing an organization or task with the speaker.

Common phrases

  • 向同事请教xiàng tóng shì qǐng jiào

    seek advice from a colleague

  • 和同事一起工作hé tóng shì yì qǐ gōng zuò

    work with a colleague

  • 同事的帮助tóng shì de bāng zhù

    a colleague's help

Similar words

同学tóng xué: A fellow student at the same school.
朋友péng yǒu: A person who shares a close personal bond with someone.

Definition in Chinese

与自己在同一单位或同一项目中一起工作的人员。yǔ zì jǐ zài tóng yì dān wèi huò tóng yí xiàng mù zhōng yì qǐ gōng zuò de rén yuán

Word origin

同事 (tóngshì, "colleague") combines 同 (tóng, "same") with 事 (shì, "work or affair"), linking the person to a common work setting or task.

Usage tips

  • The word describes a work relationship, not necessarily a friendship, so a person at work can fit the term regardless of personal closeness.

Opposites

  • 外人wài rénoutsidernoun

Related words

  • 老同事lǎo tóng shìlongtime colleaguenoun

Word lists with this word