共同
きょうどう · kyoudou · JLPT N3 · noun
cooperation
🤝 共同 = together (共) + same (同): doing the same thing together
共 means together or shared, as in 公共 (public). 同 means same, as in 同じ (onaji). Together and same make a joint effort. kyou-dou sounds a bit like co-do: two people co-doing one job.
共 — 两手 (廾) holding up an object
共 originally depicted two hands raised together, lifting or offering something jointly. The ancient form showed a vessel or object held up by paired hands, conveying shared action. From 'lifting together' it shifted to mean 'together,' 'common,' or 'share.'
同 — 冂 enclosure + 一 + 口 mouth
Originally depicted multiple mouths gathered under one cover or enclosure, suggesting people speaking together in agreement. From this image of voices joining, it came to mean 'same,' 'together,' or 'alike.' The shared cover symbolizes unity.