How do you say "colleague" in Chinese?

同事

tóng shì

Noun Hanzi

In Chinese, "colleague" is 同事 (tóng shì).

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

"tóng shì" is spoken with "tóng" is rising sharply like a question (tone 2), then "shì" is falling fast and sharp, like a command (tone 4).

Writing and usage

同事 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

我的同事和我一起吃了午饭。

wǒ de tóng shì hé wǒ yì qǐ chī le wǔ fàn 。

My colleague shared her lunch with me.

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How to remember 同事

Whisper "tóng shì" to yourself while picturing the word in action — that pairing helps "同事" (tóng shì) stay put.

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 同事

How do you pronounce 同事?

"tóng shì" is spoken with "tóng" is rising sharply like a question (tone 2), then "shì" is falling fast and sharp, like a command (tone 4).

Is 同事 formal or casual?

同事 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 同事 used in Chinese?

同事 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 我的同事和我一起吃了午饭。 (My colleague shared her lunch with me.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Colleague" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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