Nakama (仲間) is a Japanese word, generally defined as "someone one is close with and with whom one does something together".
In English, the word most closely translates to "comrade", "companion", "fellow" or "one of us (/them)". It can also be used to refer to a close colleague / a friend at one's workplace ("shigoto-nakama", 仕事仲間）, or, for example, a friend with whom one partakes in a hobby (e.g. "geemu-nakama", ゲーム仲間; "fellow gamer").
Although nakama
technically translates to "comrade", the word is not used in communist contexts. People who share the same ideal and work toward a "greater cause" would tend to use the word "doushi" (同志) instead. This is equivalent to "tongzhi" in Chinese, and is used in a similar fashion.
The word nakama has gained some
international recognition due to its prominent usage in the anime, One Piece. In One Piece the word is often used to denote a very close comrade or ally. This usage corresponds to
the definition of 'nakama' as given in the Iwanami Japanese Dictionary: "People who have maintained a close
relationship for a fairly long time, who share the same feelings (lit. "whose hearts are united") and who do something together" (JP: 心を合わせて何かをいっしょにするという間柄をかなりの期間にわたって保っている人 そういう間柄 ).
Basic usage 1: "Is that girl
over there your nakama?" (~= "Is that girl
over there with you guys?")
Basic usage 2: "We'll never get our voices heard as long as we're so few in number. We need to find more nakama." (~= "We need to find more allies / people who support our cause.")
Basic usage 3: "If you needed help, why didn't you tell me? We're nakama, right?" (~= "We're comrades/colleagues/allies, right?")
Basic anime example: "I'll protect my nakama." (~= "I'll protect my friends/mates/companions.")
One Piece example: "
Don't you dare lay your hands on my nakama." (~= "Don't you dare lay your hands on my comrade/companion.")
