侶 — “Companion / Follower” in Japanese

Master (高手)りょ, ろ, とも

Radical ⼈ · radical 9 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Companion / Follower” in Japanese is 侶, read ryo, ro, tomo (りょ, ろ, とも). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 伴侶 (companion / partner).

Try it now

What does 侶 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	侶
Meaning	Companion / Follower
Readings	りょ, ろ, とも
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	伴侶 (companion / partner)

How to read 侶

侶 is read ryo (りょ) or ro (ろ) or tomo (とも) depending on the word.

Words with 侶

僧侶
伴侶

Learn 侶 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,018 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Kanji read the same way as 侶

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28