同士【どうし】

同士 (どうし) is a suffix attached to nouns to express the idea of "fellow ~," "among ~," or "~ with each other." It indicates that two or more people (or things) share the same status, characteristic, or group membership, and that an action or relationship exists between them.

Basic usage

Attach どうし同士 directly after a noun that describes the shared identity or characteristic.

The noun before どうし同士 describes what the people have in common – they are both friends, both Japanese, both students, etc.

Common particles after 同士

どうし同士 is often followed by particles like **で** (indicating a group doing something together), **が** (as a subject), or **の** (modifying another noun).

Beyond people

While most common with people, どうし同士 can also be used with things or concepts to express a mutual relationship or interaction between items of the same kind.

Nuance

どうし同士 emphasizes the **shared bond or commonality** between the members. It often carries a sense of solidarity, camaraderie, or natural pairing. It differs from simply listing people – it highlights that the shared identity is relevant to the situation.