僚
KANJI DETAIL
colleague
On readingりょう14 strokesN1
Radical 人 · personStroke order
Loading the stroke order for 僚.
Japanese readings
- On reading
- りょう
- Kun reading
- None
Study notes
1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning
- Structure:
僚concerns people working together and has the on-readingりょう. - Basic usage:
同僚(どうりょう)means a colleague, while官僚(かんりょう)means a government official.
2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions
- Working relationship and professional role
同僚identifies a shared working relationship rather than closeness. Colleagues may also be friends, but friendship alone does not make someone a同僚.官僚identifies someone by their professional role in government administration. The word alone does not say whether they work with the speaker.

